Star Trek: The Mary Sue
by GambitsJami
Summary: Trouble is in store for me when I commit the cardinal sin of writing a Mary Sue! Resistance is futile. LOL
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer/Warning: This story, from start to finish, is a blatant Mary Sue. I set out to write it that way. I'm not good at maths or technology or writing fight scenes. But I LOVE Star Trek,  
especially The Next Generation. I always wanted to be in a ST episode or movie. Mr. Spock was my first crush when I was three years old. Data I admit I had the hots for in high school. So, I wrote this. (No, Mr. Spock isn't in it. LOL) I really can sing which you can see for yourself at my website. Also, much to the disappointment to many females (and a few males, I'm sure) Brent Spiner is married. Just check the "Internet Movie Database" if you don't believe me. I've never met Mr. Spiner and have no idea what his off screen/stage personality is like. I just guessed. If, God forbid, he or his wife should ever read this, I hope he can forgive me for using him briefly in this story.

I'm a much better singer then I am a writer, but sometimes a story gets stuck in my head and until I write it I am not happy. This was one of those stories. I hope you'll take it somewhat tongue in cheek as it IS meant to be a Mary Sue.

Love,  
Jami JoAnne Russell

Hesitating fingers tapped out on the computer keys, getting a little faster as they warmed up.  
Pausing every little bit to run a spell check. Then there was a long pause followed by a heavy sigh. A female voice spoke out.

"This is the worse piece of shit I've ever written." Another pause as the owner of the voice listened to someone talking to her. Then she closed out without saving what little she had added.  
"I'll delete it when I come home." She promised herself before turning off the computer. "It's bad even for a Mary Sue."

The computer sat there blankly as the voice's owner got up, grabbing something, and walked out.

Then a few minutes after the voice's owner left, the computer switched back on and words began to run across the screen of their own accord.

"We're closing in on them, Captain." Lt. Com. Pel said in the usual emotionless manner of a Vulcan. Though deep down inside the Vulcan, he could feel fear. Desperate to break past his firm control. Any Vulcan would feel fear in the face of what they were chasing.

Any species with the exception of the Q would feel fear when they were anywhere near the Borg.

"I don't like it, Captain." Commander Georgi LaForge said. An almost unnoticeable tremor in his voice. Only those who knew LaForge for a long time could detect it. "The Borg rarely run and almost never allow themselves to be caught up with."

"Agreed, Number One." Captain Jean-Luc Picard said. It was still hard to refer to someone else with that name. Riker had been his Number One for years. Data had been set to take over but he had sacrificed himself to save them all. Even though he had worked with LaForge for years to Picard it should be Riker he was saying this to. Will was captain of his own ship now, however,  
and he took his wife, Deanna, former ship's consoler, with him. "I smell a trap."

There was more at stake here then just the usual Borg assimilation. Only a few days ago this particular Borg cube attacked a Federation outpost near the Klingon empire. Where the Federation and the Klingons had been working together to try and keep the peace.

Where the disassembled parts of the Lore, Data's evil older brother, had been stored secretly. In hopes that the Klingon presence would keep people from trying to reassemble the android.

At one short period of time, Lore had actually been the leader of a small group of Borg. They had been separated from the hive mind by the presence of a Borg individual named Hugh. He had become an individual and was sent back to the collective in hopes that like a computer virus,  
his individuality would spread, infect the whole collective via the hive mind, and destroy the Borg threat forever.

It didn't entirely work and instead a handful of Borg separated from the collective and were left vulnerable for Lore's manipulation.

There had been Hell to pay when the Borg were able to get their hands on Data. Q only knew what would happen if they managed to put Lore back together. Or what they'd do with him once they did.

Suddenly the Borg cube stopped. Just cold stopped in one place.

"Full stop." Picard ordered. Waiting to see what the Borg would do next. Turn and fight? More running?

A green beam of light shot out from the cube, but not at the Enterprise-E, rather at a seemingly empty part of space. It seemed to slice downwards. A swirling hole in the emptiness of space opened.

"What is that?" Picard whispered, though he felt he knew.

"By all appearances Captain," Pel said, "it's a stable wormhole."

Worf, the head of security of the Enterprise and the only Klingon currently in the Federation,  
sniffed like a wary animal. Even Klingons had the sense to be afraid of the Borg. They were the only ones who could take away what a Klingon prized above all else. Their honor. Not to mention their free will.

The Borg cube suddenly dived into the wormhole. Captain Picard hesitated for only a half a second. The last time the Borg disappeared into space they had got back in time to assimilate earth.

"Follow them." The captain said as calmly as he could.

"Aye captain." Pel said.

Soon they were inside the rapidly closing wormhole. As it collapsed behind them, Picard tried to keep his eyes on the Borg cube in front. The Enterprise rocked side to side as the wormhole closed up behind them. People gripped hard to stay in their seats or standing as the case may be.  
Still, Worf had to catch one ensign before she flew over the security consol and right onto the captain's head.

Then they were out. Into a familiar, yet unfamiliar solar system.

Earth floated beneath them, near to them was the moon. Yet there were no stations. Pel confirmed there was no life on the other planets. The few satellites were primitive. The youngest being a design from the 21st century.

"Captain," Pel said, "I just detected three Borg signatures transporting down to earth. To a," Pel paused for a second, "hotel in Las Vegas."

"LaForge," Picard said, not needing to say another word.

"Mr. Worf," LaForge said, "Pel, with me, Dr. Crusher, Lt. Shannon, report to the transporter room."

"God be with you, Number One." Picard whispered as the turbolift doors closed.

"You again!" The man laughed. He was a handsome man though on the thin side, about five feet six inches tall with short wavy brown hair and expressive brown eyes. He was pale in the way someone who works indoors away from natural light usually was. The blue jacket he wore went well with his complection and there was a shadow of a beard on his chin. "How many times have you been on today?"

Chuckling, Jami sat herself down on the floor. She was a fat woman, over 250 pounds, and only five feet three inches tall. Her hair, naturally brown, was colored a flattering shade of blond with lighter blond streaks and cut short, not really styled but there was obvious traces of mouse, a headband held it out of her face. Despite the stereotype of fat people, she was clean with crisp black jeans and a loose fitting green shirt that made her look heavier then she was because of it's size. "Both rides together or each separately?" When she smiled with her cupid's bow mouth revealed a set of perfectly straight teeth. They had grown in that way.

"Since we opened the ride." The ride operator joked. "Though you'll never catch up with the record holder. She's rapidly going on 2,000 now."

"I don't watch to catch up. I just love this ride and this place!" Jami's almond-shaped grey-green eyes twinkled with merriment. "Closest I'll ever come to being on a Star Trek show."

The place in question was Star Trek: The Experience, a ride at the Las Vegas Hilton. There were now two rides, Klingon Encounter, a simulator with a storyline based in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Borg Invasion 4-D, who's storyline was based in Star Trek: Voyager. Jami sat cross legged on the floor in front of the Borg display. There were three life size Borg statues.  
Only the middle one had any movement, it's head turning slowly from side to side. On the left hand side was a niche where a replica of the skull and spine of the Borg Queen sat, on the right a tv that showed various clips dealing with the Borg.

Jami sat facing the Borg display so she could see the clips involving her favorite character, Lt.  
Com. Data. She was still upset that he had been killed off in Star Trek: Nemesis but she held out hopes he would somehow be rebuilt.

As for the ride operator, well, he was Jami's favorite. A film student, he was very melodramatic and teased her a lot. Living in California, Jami and her parents visited Vegas quite a bit and usually stayed at the Hilton. Even at 28 Jami had no problem taking vacations with her parents,  
they, after all, paid for everything except things like this. She had been on the ride enough times that most ride operators, actors on the rides, and characters wandering about such as the Klingons, Ferengi, and at least one of the Borg knew her on sight. Though none had ever bothered to ask her name.

"Resistance - is futile." Jami said along with Data. Causing the ride operator to roll his eyes. Last year she knew his name but had forgotten it later on. The reason being that one of the Klingons would come by now and again and pretend to torture him and call him by a different name.

"For those in the museum of the future," the operator said into the intercom, "Borg Invasion 4-D will be loading in five minutes. If you'd like to ride please come to the left side of the Q-line to the Borg display."

A few people started to wander up when something caught Jami's eye. The Borg nearest the tv started to move, the little circular saw on his right arm where a hand should be spinning.

"Since when do the other Borg's move?" She asked.

The ride operator looked over. "They don't..." He said.

The Borg raised his arm, beginning to cut through the thick glass in front of him. The other two raised their own arms as much as they could and fired weapons.

"Everyone please evacuate the ride in a calm manner." The ride operator was saying, even as the few people who had come up after Jami started to run away screaming. Jami herself had stood but not moved. Something held her in place.

The operator grabbed her and protected her from the glass as it exploded outwards. The three Borg stepped out of the display. One turning and firing something at one of the fleeing people,  
who fell down screaming in pain. Then suddenly he wasn't screaming or moving anymore.

Jami didn't know what got into her, she just reacted. One of the Borg was heading for her and her friend. Suddenly she held a sharp piece of glass in her hand and she was reaching up and driving it into the throat of the Borg. Blood and sparks escaped from it even as it fell down, it's body jerking a bit as it died. Somehow she hit something vital.

Now the other two Borg turned to her. One was aiming at the man behind her.

"Run," she said, "For God's sake RUN!" She turned and pushed him towards the door for Klingon Encounter. Even as one of the Borg's grabbed her by the shoulder, pressed something to her neck. There was a sharp pain. Then suddenly something was inside her. Crawling under her skin. Whispering to her. "NO!" She screamed, turning around as the Borg released her, hands coming up in claws, one driving into the Borg's eye, the other ripping out the fiber optics where the other eye should be. She heard screams, doors slamming. She turned to see the pale face of the ride operator as the other Borg came nearer to him.

Even with the whispers in her head, the pain running through her, she managed to launch herself at the Borg, grabbing it around the knees and yanking it off it's feet.

"Thank you." Her friend said.

"RUN!" She screamed at him and this time he listened, slamming out after the others through an employees only door.

Both Borg were still alive. The nanites in the one replacing the eyes. The other getting to it's feet. Fire screamed in Jami's veins. Voices hissed in her mind.

"Resistance is futile. Join us. Become one with the hive mind."

"NO!" She roared, yanking at her hair even as both Borg lifted her up by either arm. They were studying her and suddenly she knew why.

The others they had just tried to assimilate had died almost instantly. Though the man and now she could tell, a woman, had been in perfect health, they had died and assimilation failed. Yet Jami, obese, with high cholesterol, a fatty liver, a heart attack waiting to happen was not only surviving but so far successfully resisting.

So taken with what was happening were both Borg that they didn't noticing the shimmering. The shapes forming. Jami saw it though. Even through her pain induced tears.

If not for the Borg. If not for the pain and the dead, Jami wouldn't believe what she was seeing.  
From thin air formed three people she knew well and two people she didn't but who's uniforms she reconized.

Geordi LaForge, Worf, and Dr. Crusher, plus a Vulcan Lt. commander and a human ensign.  
Standing there. Right there in front of her. They looked around, only the Vulcan not looking confused or shocked by what they were seeing. For across from the Borg display was a sign with pictures of the Borg and Lore with a summery of the Federation's history with them.

The Borg turned their heads towards the newcomers. Letting Jami go. Worf took the one on her left down with a well placed blast from his phaser. The other now was prepared. His newly made eyes glinting emptily as he started to raise his arm to fire the nanites.

Jami slammed herself into the Borg. Because of her weight she was able to shove it to the side.  
Throwing it off enough that it didn't get it's shot off.

All the away team fired at different frequencies but none worked. Jami tried to trip it but it was prepared for that as well and she was spasming too hard. Yet she managed to grasp a piece of glass and drove it through the Borg's foot. Because her first attack had been on a Borg's neck,  
the foot was unprotected from the glass.

She didn't see the rest. How Worf drew forth two Klingon blades. Throwing them with perfect aim right into the Borg's newly restored eyes, driving deep into it's brain and killing it.

"Freeze! Security!" A man called out behind them. He and three others were aiming guns at them.

"LaForge to Enterprise, there's three dead Borg, two dead humans, and one living human besides us. We need to beam up. Now." This was said in a rush. "Directly to sickbay."

Even in her pain Jami felt the strangest sensation. The world faded out of view. Then back. She found herself in a room she had only seen in movies.

The sickbay of the Enterprise E.

"Get her into quarantine!" Dr. Crusher said.

Worf hauled Jami up and took her into a separate room. Then quickly left. However the Klingon turned back and faced her even as the glass door slammed down, sealing itself.

"You did well. Keep fighting." The Klingon said.

Jami curled up in a corner, rocking herself. Her right hand was bleeding badly. However that was nothing compared to the pain and the whispering inside her. "Resistance is NOT futile." She began to mutter over and over. Fighting against whatever was trying to take her over.

"Activate emergency medical hologram inside the quarantine unit." Dr. Crusher was saying.

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency." The doctor said as he usually did.

"She's being assimilated." Dr. Crusher said pointing to the woman rocking back and forth behind him. "Do what you can for her."

The holographic doctor bent down, taking Jami's bleeding hand and beginning to fix it. Even as Jami continued to rock and mutter. He started to go to sedate her when she grabbed his hand,  
turning her red rimmed eyes at him.

"No. If I fall asleep they'll get me. I have to stay awake."

"Please, I need to calm you down."

"NO!" She growled out between clenched teeth. "I won't let them win! I won't! Resistance is NOT futile!" Hysterical chuckles worked their way up inside her. "Not when in your universe the Borg are works of fiction! I have to stay awake. I have to resist. So either give me a stimulate or go shut your holographic self off, doctor!"

Dr. Crusher, who had been getting prepared to examine the two dead humans, looked over at the unit at the words "works of fiction." If what she just heard was true it would explain what little they had seen down there. "Do as she says, Doctor."

"But Dr. Crusher..." the hologram protested.

"Just do it." The redhead snapped before returning to her work.

As the stimulate entered her veins, Jami moaned out. "Shut up! I will resist! I WILL!"

"Soon brother, you will be rebuilt. Better then ever." Lore said as he watched the Borg at their work. "The universe is just too empty without you to compete with."

Before him was the frame of an android. Some parts burn, even melted in places. The Borg worked hard to repair them. What they hadn't been able to repair they replaced. However the most important part was still intact. Gently, Lore handed Data's head to a Borg. Delighting in the sensation of his brand new human like skin as he touched things.

Blue eyes, once yellow, danced in twisted merriment. His much more human like hair falling along his forehead. "Make sure you give him all new skin too. I want my nemesis to be equal to me in every way."

A Borg came to Lore, touching him briefly on the arm as information was transferred from it to the android. Lore's mouth twisted downwards, snarling.

"Hide us behind Jupiter. We'll regroup and replan. Hopefully we can get this woman off the Enterprise. Hurry up and finish with him. Then put him in restraints before activating him"  
With that Lore stomped off.

"And they had pictures of Lore and the Borg on the wall?" Picard asked, drawing his eyebrows together. Leaning back in his ready room chair.

"Yes, Captain," LaForge said. "I don't begin to understand it. However Com. Pel has been monitoring earth's broadcasts as well as the Borg cube." There was a pause as LaForge began to call something up. "He found something interesting, and a bit disturbing."

Suddenly Captain Picard was looking at himself. Hearing his own voice, yet slightly different.  
More of an English accent then a French one. Then a few minutes after watching what he thought of as himself interacting with others just before the dramatic entrance of Q, the action stopped and cut to a shot of the Enterprise D. Music playing. The man who had been him suddenly speaking.

"Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. It's continuing mission, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life, and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before!"

There was dramatic theme music. Credits began to play. Names of the crew along with the names of actors.

"This isn't the only one." LaForge said, switching, now there was Deep Space Nine, Sisko and the rest, now Janeway on the Voyager, Captain Kirk, and finally Captain Jonathan Archer.

The most painful scenes LaForge showed involved Tasha Yar and Data.

"The planet beneath us is defiantly a 21st century earth, but not our earth. Somehow," LaForge said. "We've ended up in a universe where we're fictional characters."

Captain Picard stood up. "The Borg cube had hidden itself behind Jupiter. We should move to.  
Someplace close but not too close. Arrange this, Number One. In the meantime, I shall see how our guest is." Standing, he headed for the door.

"Captain." LaForge's voice was filled with concern. It didn't take his bionic eyes to see that the captain was very distracted. "Maybe it's not a good idea."

His back still to his first officer, Picard replied, "She's being assimilated, Geordi. No one should have to be alone during that. You have the bridge." With that the Captain began what to him was a very long walk.

Along the way a very calming presence began to walk alongside him. Her hat a little more understated then normal, Guinan just walked next to him for a bit. Not pushing things.

"I don't know what to think. Somehow we ended up in a universe where we're fictional characters. I'm played by some man named Patrick Stewart, you by a woman named Whoopi Goldberg."

"Whoopi? What kind of name is that? Sounds like some sort of cough." Guinan said, lightly joking before hitting the serious issue. "You wonder now if you are in control of our lives or if the people of this world are in control."

"Yes." Picard said, making the final turn before sickbay.

Guinan was silent again for a moment, stopping herself and the captain. "The Jean-Luc Picard I know would never even let a god control his life, let alone some man sitting at a computer and living in his parents' basement."

The image made Picard chuckle and feel better. "Would you like to come in with me?"

Shaking her head, Guinan replied, "I'm late for work. Jean-Luc, try not to get too - attached. Just incase."

Nodding curtly, Picard entered the sickbay, looking back at the doors as they closed behind him,  
cutting off his view of his oldest and dearest friend. Then he turned to Doctor Crusher, deep in her autopsy of one of the two people who died when the Borg tried to assimilate them. He walked past her to the quarantine unit where there was mutterings and sometimes yelling.

"I'm going to resist you! You'll see!" The woman was pacing back and forth. The holographic doctor hovering in the background. She spun, looking at Captain Picard, rushing to the glass and pressing her hands flat against it. Her skin rippling. Nanites trying to build under her skin. Even as he watched a patch of grey forming on her left cheek, she suddenly reached up and ripped her own flesh off. Metal tendrils waving wildly even as she flung the bloody flesh to the floor and stomping at it. "I'm resisting them. I WILL resist them!"

The doctor rushed forward and healed her cheek. "She is managing to keep them in check with the power of her mind, but I do wish she'd stop ripping off her own flesh."

"It's not my flesh! It's Borg flesh! And I will not be one of them!" Turning to the Captain she pressed her hands against the glass again, blood staining the glass. "Captain Picard. The real Captain Jean-Luc Picard. God, this is every Trekkie's dream! Well, the ones who would rather meet you then Captain Kirk that is." She laughed, a half strained, half joyful laugh. "Not the most ideal circumstances, however. Seeing how I'm infested with these infernal Borg nanites!"

"Miss..." Picard began, then realized he didn't know her name.

"Russell," She managed to gasp out. "Jami JoAnne Russell." Pulling away she bent over,  
moaning. "No, I'm telling you no! Oh God, this is awful, how did you ever handle this?"

"I don't know." Picard whispered. It was painful to watch. She was trying so hard to do what he couldn't do. Resist the Borg. "After awhile I didn't know myself anymore."

She shook her head, grimacing even as she tried to smile. "I can't give in. I can hear them. If I give in my entire world is lost. They'll figure out what keeps me alive when the others died.  
Then they'll be able to assimilate my entire world. I WILL NOT LET THEM WIN!"

This last was followed by her slamming her fists so hard against the glass that Picard could hear bones break. Though not a crack appeared in the glass. The doctor took her hands in his one at a time, mending the bones.

"I really must object to your constantly hurting yourself." The holographic doctor said with a heavy sigh.

"Shut up!" Jami said through clenched teeth. "I'm trying to not become one of the Borg here! I don't care if I rip out my own stomach! Just let me do what's necessary to resist!" Her head jerked upwards, seeming to look at something. "It's not futile! I will resist you so just shut your bloody mouths up!"

Unable to watch this any longer, Picard turned to Dr. Crusher. Their eyes met.

"I'm ready to make my report, Captain," she said, motioning towards her office.

As if trying to run from his own nightmare, the Captain hurried towards the safety of the doctor's office.

Hours had past. Jami knew because she was awake for every agonizing second. She didn't pretend to understand what was going on. Just that somehow people who were fictional characters were real and here and she was the center of it all.

Just like the Mary Suish fan fiction she had been writing before leaving for Las Vegas. The one she was going to delete when she got home. She had done what all readers of fan fiction hated,  
she wrote herself into the story, with a different name of course, but that was the part she hadn't saved. She had only been a few paragraphs in when she turned the computer off.

Jami hated her writing. She only wrote because sometimes a story filled her head and wouldn't leave her alone. It was like being possessed. Writing was like an exorcism. But she hated the final product every time. Still, because others like it, she'd put them up on websites like Fanfiction and Fictionpress. 

Mary Sues were the Great Evil of all fan fiction. Yet lately Jami's life had been so boring, so lonely, so - pointless, that she found more and more she was putting herself into stories. Harry Potter, X-Men, even Van Helsing. Overweight blonds, usually who could sing, just like her. She just wanted some excitement, some romance in her life. Men didn't like her, they said so all the time. That she was "a nice person but too fat to be seen with in public." People tried to tell her it was because she had no self confidence, except when she sang, but if that's what it took, how come all the men kept telling her that it was because she was fat and therefore ugly?

Being a Trekkie Jami always wanted to be in an episode of Star Trek. Any show but particularly the Next Generation. To her it would be a dream come true.

However the dream was currently a nightmare.

"Resistance is futile. Join us in the hive mind. We wish to improve ourselves. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. We are the Borg. Resistance is futile."

"NO IT IS NOT!" Jami roared at the voices in her head. "It's not." Sobs hitched in her chest.

Jami was a whiner, she freely admitted it, and an attention "whore." Yet when she had to she also fought and fought hard. The only girl out of four children and the youngest, Jami was stubborn, opinionated, and though she couldn't throw a punch she still fought when she really believed in something. Especially her right to be an individual. She had always been her own person. From the music she listened to, the books she read, to her own personal religious beliefs.

There was no way she was going to become a mindless automaton.

A golden colored face appeared at the window, still streaked with dried blood from when she had pressed her bloody hands against the glass while talking to Captain Picard. Yellow eyes peered at her with child-like curiosity.

"Why are you in here?" B-4 asked, tilting his head to one side.

"Because I'm infected with Borg nanites." Jami growled out. "And incase they do take over no one wants me near them."

"Are you in great pain?" It was asked in the manner in only which B-4 could ask. His positronic neural net not nearly as sophisticated as Data or Lore's many things he could not comprehend.

"Yes." Resisting the urge to snap at him, for he couldn't help it, Jami doubled over, clutching her stomach.

As she was doubled over, the holographic doctor tried to offer her a sedative yet again, B-4 went to the panel and punched at the buttons, not sure how he knew how to do this. The door slid upwards then back down behind him as he entered the room.

When they had found him, B-4's brother, Data, connected his mind to B-4's. Trying to improve the android's mind by transferring his own memories to B-4. Good and bad.

Including the ones involving Data's time connected to the Borg collective. Consort to the Borg queen.

"Really you shouldn't be in here!" The doctor was saying. "Dr. Crusher, someone has entered the quarantine unit!"

Dr. Crusher rushed out of her office, calling for security and engineering when she saw who was in the unit. Picard moving ahead of her.

"B-4," Picard said, regretting not for the first time, for letting sentimentality result in him not only keeping B-4 turned on but on the ship. "Get out of there."

"But I can help her." B-4 said even as he wrapped his right arm around her stomach, pulling her back against him. Then his left hand clamped over her mouth.

At first Picard and Crusher thought the android meant to kill her. But suddenly they could see this was not the case. Even as Worf and his team plus several engineers rushed into the sickbay,  
they could hear more then see B-4's left hand vibrating at a high rate of speed. Patches of pale,  
Borg like flesh on Jami's face and arms began to return to normal color. However blood leaked out from under B-4's hand. Vibrating at such a high rate of speed he was splitting her lips open,  
breaking teeth.

When he pulled his hand away from her bloodied mouth like a swarm of gnats, the nanites, by themselves too small to see with the naked eye, but all together in their billions of numbers, flew in a large softball shape. A magnetic field that B-4 was generating keeping them in place and from entering his own flesh. Then his mouth opened and a high pitched squeal filled the room.

Crusher slapped plugs in her own ears even as her medial crew did the same and handed them out to the others. This blocked out all sound. The holographic doctor flickered out of existence and even the lights and computers in sickbay started to shut off or even explode.

Jami was too weak to even raise her hands to cover her ears. Pain filled her head. Then suddenly she couldn't hear anything. However she could feel the blood dripping down the sides of her face. Out of her ears. Then she fainted for the first time since that time at the beach when she was three years old and almost drowned.

B-4 stopped the sound and dropped the nanites in a nearby self sealing biohazard jar. When he went to the door, the power being out he couldn't open it. However reaching down he soon grasped the edge and bent it upwards, giving him a good handhold so he could slide it upwards.

The medical team rushed into the unit. Removing their earplugs. Worf was called in to help them get the obese woman up on the table.

Picard removed his earplugs. B-4 said, "She's not in pain anymore."

The captain was at a lost for words. Unable to even tell the security team to take B-4 into custody or the engineering team to shut him down. Instead he watched silently as the android turned and walked out.

"What do you mean she's not longer connected to the collective?" Lore roared. "Is she dead?  
You didn't sense death? Well, then what happened? She couldn't resist - resistance is futile!  
What do you mean the nanites stopped working?"

The Borg stood with it's hand on Lore's arm, communicating to him all that had transpired.  
Snarling, he pulled away.

"We need more subjects. You said you got from the woman's mind that there's a war going on in Iraq. No one will notice in all that chaos if a few people here and there go missing. Get as close to earth as necessary, target individuals who are alone, and beam them straight up to the ship. Only a handful mind you. And keep us cloaked."

There was good news for Lore, however. For the project was finally completed. Approaching the restraint table, he smiled. Data, still deactivated, hung from the restraints on the table. Instead of the yellow flesh which for so long made them look as different from humans on the outside as they were on the inside, Data, like Lore, now had human colored flesh. Better yet, it was actual skin that could grow hair, shed skin, even get injured and healed. Real hair that actually growed crowned Data's head just as it did Lore's. There was a five o'clock shadow on Data's chin.

And when Lore reached around Data's neck and turned him on, stunning blue eyes blinked from a human looking face.

"Welcome back to life, brother."

"I don't begin to understand any of this." Dr. Crusher said as she sat back behind her desk. She looked very tired. Not having changed her uniform yet, Picard saw stains of blood on it. "There is no reason those people should've died. They were in basically perfect physical health except for the usual wear and tear of age and some signs of having smoked when they were younger"  
Sipping her tea, the doctor paused before continuing. "While our - guest - was, frankly, a walking, talking heart attack. She had a fatty liver, genetic kidney problems, cholesterol through the roof, borderline high blood pressure, borderline diabetic, even signs of repeat sinus and ear infections. Frankly speaking, Captain, if anyone should've died, it should've been her."

"But she didn't." Picard said, as perplexed as the doctor, "she not only lived, she resisted the Borg, for hours."

"She is stubborn." Beverly admitted. "And I don't think it's just when the Borg are trying to assimilate her either." The doctor stood. "All I can say is despite the weight, I've got her in perfect health now. Still, when she's up and around I'm putting her on a strict diet and exercise program until we can return her to earth."

"Which won't be until we've eliminated the Borg threat in this - unusual - universe." Picard admitted. "We can't leave them to handle this on their own."

"Captain, how do you suppose that B-4..." Dr. Crusher began before the beep of the com unit interrupted her.

"Captain Picard," Worf said over the intercom, "we have detected the Borg going under cloak and moving toward's earth."

"Follow them but keep your distance and don't engage them unless necessary," Picard ordered even as he stood up, "I'll be right there." Pausing at the door, he turned to Dr. Crusher, "Doctor,  
would you be so good as to arrange - quarters for our - guest? I think she'd been through enough without being stuck in the sickbay."

"I agree." Crusher said as she stood. "As soon as she wakes up."

"Good." Starting his brisk pace again, Picard headed for the bridge. Pausing only briefly to look at Jami who laid on a table, asleep for now. She moaned and Picard flinched. He knew that kind of moan.

She was dreaming about the Borg.

Ungluing his feet from the floor, he practically threw himself out the door. Reminding himself that there was no time to lose. Though there was really nothing they could do. Fighting the Borg was like trying to count the stars while going warp 8. Yet the Federation would never give up,  
never get in.

Resistance was not futile.

"Report." Picard snapped as soon as he got off the turbolift.

"The Borg approached earth, cloaked, before we could do anything they appeared to transport five people from the surface to their ship." Worf reported. "Now according to the trail left behind they're heading back to Jupiter."

"Where did they take the people from? One place or many?" Picard asked.

Pel spoke now. "From what we can tell they took them all from the country of Iraq." The Vulcan paused. "It appears there is a war going on there right now. Perhaps the Borg thought that under the cover of war the people were a lot less likely to be missed."

"That is not like the Borg." Picard said. "They go in, the assimilate everyone they can, then they withdraw."

"This is new circumstances for them, Captain," LaForge said. "Their first attempt left two dead and one who was able to fight them off for a long period of time. Perhaps they're being more cautious."

"Or are being directed by someone." Picard replied. "Like Lore."

The bridge fell silent. No one wanted to fight Lore. Though nothing personality wise like Data,  
he did look exactly like him. Everyone who had been on the Enterprise during the years Data had been alive missed him terribly. It just wasn't the same ship without him.

Riker and Troi were gone, Data was dead, the Enterprise D had been destroyed. Somedays Picard felt like he was in a different world. Somedays the Enterprise did not feel like home.

"Set a course back to our hiding place." Knowing there was nothing they could do for the poor souls on the Borg cube, Picard would just have to wait until they made another move.

"Dispose of the bodies." Lore grumbled. "Fire them at the sun."

Five humans, varying ages, from a thirteen year old girl to a 30 year old solider. All in good to peak health.

All dead the second the nanites entered them.

There was no explaining it. Somehow the Borg nanites were completely incompatible with the humans in this universe. There simply seemed to be no way to assimilate them.

"We have only one choice then," Lore said, "we have to get that woman off the Enterprise."

"You will not succeed in this, brother." Data said. "Captain Picard will stop you."

"Don't make me regret reassembling and improving you, brother." Snarled Lore, refusing to turn towards him. "No, you won't go." He snapped at one of the Borg. "I will. No, trust me, I know exactly what to do." Grinning, he finally turned towards Data. "I reviewed the files in your head.  
I know about B-4. Get ready to transport me." He ordered the Borg.

Jami sighed, flopping down on the bed. Basically she had been shoved in here and told she was only allowed here, Ten Forward, and the holodecks and those last two only in non-emergencies.  
Of course right now she was exhausted both mentally and physically. Later she was to be debriefed. When someone had time for her.

There was a beep at the door. "Enter." She called out. Too tired to sleep. She sat up to see who entered. It was the Vulcan who had been down on earth when the Borg tried to assimilate her.

"Hello," The Vulcan said, nodding his head. He was handsome in the usual Vulcan manner. His ears highly pointed, brown hair cut very short. "I am Lt. Com. Pel. Captain Picard has sent me down to debrief you."

Jami swung her legs off the bed and stood up, offering her hand. "Jami JoAnne Russell, just call me Jami. Nice to meet you, Mr. Pel. Make yourself at home, somehow I have to. Can I get you anything?"

"I am quite alright at the moment." Pel said as he sat down. "Though if you wish refreshment..."

"Nah, I'm okay." Jami plopped down in a chair. "I'm too tired to chew or swallow right now anyway. Too tired to even be amazed that I'm on the real honest to goodness Enterprise E or wonder how all this happened."

"That is part of what we wish to know about." Pel stated. "Do you have any idea how we got here?"

"No. I barely understand the technology of Star Trek. For me it was always about the adventures and the interactions and the lessons you sometimes teach. I never understood the matter/antimatter stuff or how Data's brain worked. I certainly never got it when you talked in the metric system as I totally stink at math. I'm lucky I can turn a computer on and add two plus two. Now if you wanted to know just about anything about vampires I'm your girl. Useless trivia I know. This," she waved her hands about her and sighed, "I couldn't tell you."

Pel sat back and absorbed this. "Jami, in light of what you've revealed, it might be easier if you allowed me to read your mind. I promise I will not go into your most private thoughts."

"Help yourself." She said, moving her chair closer so she would be in reach of the Vulcan.  
"Don't worry, I tend to be a big mouth and much too open about things."

Pel nodded and placed his fingers along her face. He could sense first her excitement. Disbelief that this was actually happening. Then he began to sort through her memories, looking specifically for ones involving this Star Trek. When he was done nearly an hour later, he sat back. Mentally he was already planning out his report. However there was one question he had to ask first.

"Who is this Mary Sue?"

Jami laughed and waggled her finger in a teasing manner. "You didn't dig deep enough. A "Mary Sue" is a term for a usually very bad type of fan fiction in which the writer puts him or herself. Also called a "Larry Sue" when referring to guys. Cardinal sin of fan fiction writing even though everyone who writes fan fiction does it at some point. I was working on a very Mary Suish fan fiction before I left for Vegas but I was going to delete it when I got home. I didn't get very far. Just started it with the Enterprise chasing the Borg..."

"Exactly how we were before we came here."

"Coincidence. I'm not a professional writer, never will be. I'm much better at singing." Jami shook her head. "Besides, lots of Star Trek stuff now adays starts with chasing the Borg."

"Logical, I concur." Pel stood up. "I'll tell the Captain your longing to leave a message for your family." The Vulcan started for the door then stopped and turned around. "By the way, you are wrong. You are not a "stupid idiot." Indeed, you are smart, if a bit lazy and undisciplined."

When the door closed behind him, Jami sighed. "That's the last time I let a Vulcan inside my head."

One of the problems there had always been with the Enterprise was rarely did the crew think to scan for people transporting aboard their ship in secret. Maybe it was human vanity getting in the way. Or it never really occurred to them. Perhaps, like Picard feared, the people in the universe they currently found themselves in really were in control and left these huge plot holes.

Whatever the reason, no one was scanning the ship. They were too busy waiting for the Borg's next move. They had watched as the Borg fired something at the sun, but when all five of those something turned out to be human bodies, they let them go. This distracted them. So they never thought to scan the inside of the ship. Never thought to keep an eye on B-4's room.

B-4 sat stroking Spot, Data's cat. Spot was his responsibility now. Something to keep him occupied so he didn't cause trouble around the ship. Though from time to time he did wander into places he shouldn't be.

Spot hissed suddenly and darted from B-4. Going to her safe place. Away from the evil she sensed forming in the room.

B-4 looked at the man who appeared in his room. The man looked like him but with human coloring.

"Hello, brother," Lore said with a friendly smile. "I am Lore. I need your help."

"You will have no contact with anyone." Picard stated as he escorted Jami to the transporter room. "We'll beam you into your brother's home, you'll put the letter down where he'll see it,  
then return straight to the ship."

"I've got it, Captain." Jami snapped. "I dislike having things repeated to me a million times in a row."

"I want to make sure you understand."

"I understand now stop acting like my mother!" The blond growled out.

"I can keep you from going, you know." Picard snapped back.

Sighing, Jami gave in. "I'm sorry. I just - I don't know what it is. I should be happy to just be in your presence. Though I never imagined anything like this. Not really. For one thing I always thought it would be Patrick Stewart as he played you and I would be playing a character too. Not myself. Maybe - someone snatched from the 20th century by Q. It sounds childish, but - I want my mommy and daddy."

Reaching out, Picard squeezed her shoulder. "I'll tell you a secret and you may not tell anyone this. Sometimes, especially when it comes to the Borg, I want my mother and father too."

Giving Picard a weak smile, Jami touched the com badge on her chest. Not activating it, just brushing it. "I promise, Captain, I'll be worthy of this. Besides," she grinned now, "it's not every day a Trekkie or even a Trekker gets to use a real honest to goodness transporter!"

Unable to help chuckling at Jami's child-like enthusiasm, Picard let her go. Watching as she took her place on the transporter pad. She tried to hold still but Picard could tell she was twitching almost hyperactively. It was strangely refreshing to see someone getting so much excitement out of being transported. Like if he was back on his first starship, his first away mission. It was a good feeling.

As for Jami, when she reformed in her brother Paul's house, she sighed. Glad to be able to do this, sad she had to. Placing the letter on his kitchen table.

There was the sound of something jingling. A black and white bundle of fur ran up to Jami and started pawing at her legs. Bending down, Jami scooped up her twenty pound dog. Paul had been taking care of Audrey while they were in Vegas. She hated herself for not telling Captain Picard her plan, but Jami was not going to live without her dog.

Audrey was a nearly 10 year old American Cocker Spaniel. Her fur was black and white including a section that looked like a mask. Her ears and top of her face all black, but the underside of her muzzle white with confetti-like black spots. She was what was called a "particolored" Cocker.

"Hi baby. I sure did miss you!" Jami kissed Audrey's head over and over. "Let's go find your leash, huh?" She started out of the kitchen when something formed in front of her. Holding Audrey tight with one arm, Jami managed to slap her communicator. Fear flooding her.  
"Enterprise! Beam me up! The Borg are here!"

Two Borg were heading for her. One lurched forward to grab her. The other trying to get behind her. She could feel the transporter grabbing her. Then for a bit it seemed like she was being torn apart. One second she was on Enterprise, then the Borg cube, then suddenly back on Enterprise.  
The one Borg still holding her arm. The other turning to try and attack the security team.

Jami struggled to get away. Knowing that if she didn't she'd be transported back to the Borg cube. Worried for Audrey's safety, she didn't put the dog down no matter how much she squirmed. She feared her little dog would be trampled.

The one Borg was take out by Worf using a Klingon sword to cut off it's head. However this meant the Borg holding Jami would be prepared for this. Letting Audrey go now, Jami was grateful as a security team member grabbed the dog up and got her out of the way. This allowed Jami the freedom to use her left hand to swing at the Borg. However it just bounced off it's shielding.

Growling, Jami began to strike out where she could. Sometimes succeeding in ripping something out, more often then not her hand bouncing off the shielding as the Borg adapted. No one fired for fear of hitting her.

Worf rushed in, however, swinging his sword downwards. Jami pulled herself as far away as she could, watching as the Klingon's blade came withing a hair's breath of her own arm as he cut off the Borg's hand. Just as she freed herself, the Borg was transported off the ship.

"I think I need a weapon of my own." Jami said, even as she retrieved her dog.

"You fight poorly." Worf said, "But determinately." It was the highest comment the Klingon could give her. "I'll arrange for a small knife, but you will have to be trained how to use it."

"Just as long as I've got something to defend myself with I don't care if it's a really sharp toothpick." Jami replied, then she realized she was bleeding. "Darn it, not another trip to sickbay." Knowing she would be forced to go anyway to scan for Borg nanites, she started for the door. "Thanks for saving me, again." She said. "I do appreciate it."

Later in sickbay Jami found herself thanking Dr. Crusher. In just a little over 24 hours, the doctor had repaired every organ Jami had damaged by overeating, repaired broken teeth, fixed her busted eardrums, not to mention put up with her when she was nearly assimilated. Now not only had the overworked doctor healed her arm, but she also treated Audrey for several problems. Some caused by the dog's advanced age, some she always had, like eczema. Curing the little dog of it. In all this stress, the doctor tried not to show how the cute little dog made her all gushy inside, but it was hard not to. When Audrey scooted around the floor on her belly and looked up with her soulful brown eyes, Beverly couldn't help kneeling down and petting her.

"Captain Picard is not going to be happy she's on the ship." Dr. Crusher warned as she handed Jami Audrey's newly replicated leash.

"I admit I was going to bring her to the ship with me. She's my best friend, sometimes my only friend, doctor. I couldn't take another day without her." Jami paused for a moment. Staring at Audrey, she asked, "Dr. Crusher, the Borg's can't seem to assimilate anyone, but you can use your medical equipment to treat, even heal me, Audrey too. Shouldn't, by rights, you items not work either?"

"You're right. I can't explain it. I can't explain any of it." Dr. Crusher admitted. "I wish I could.  
I wish I knew how you of all people survived."

"Dad's always said I'm the most stubborn person he knows." Jami said with a grin. "Maybe I'm just too stubborn to die."

"I can believe that." Dr. Crusher said, giving Jami a gentle push out. "Try to stop getting yourself injured."

"I can't promise that, Worf said he'd teach me how to use a knife!"

"Oh God no..."

"The Borg must've been watching the ship." LaForge said, closing and rubbing his bionic eyes.  
"Just as we've been watching their's."

Picard began to pace behind his desk. They were going on close to 48 hours now. The Borg cube hadn't moved and they were no closer to solving the mystery. This was driving everyone except for the Vulcan members of the crew a bit nuts.

The problem was, if they destroyed the Borg cube, then they had no idea how to get home. To send an away team over there was insanity. Though more often then not, the Borg intended to ignore away teams on their cube, there was always the chance the entire team could end up assimilated.

"We need to do something, Mr. LaForge." Picard said. "I just wish I knew what. I'm tired of waiting for the Borg to make the first move."

"Perhaps we could go to earth, look for writers of this Star Trek, see if they know anything about this?" LaForge suggested.

"Too risky. We look almost exactly like the actors who portray us. If we were to run into any fans it could cause trouble. Not to mention I'm sure the writers wouldn't believe us and think it was just the actors playing a joke on them. No, I'm afraid that's out of the question."

"Then all we can do, Captain, is continue the waiting game."

"Do not worry, with practice, you will improve." Worf said as he stood with Jami next to the door of her quarters. "You did well for someone in as poor of shape as you."

Jami just nodded, trying to get her breath back. Every muscle ached and she was soaked with sweat. Finally she managed to keep enough air in her lungs to wheeze out "Thanks, Worf." Then retreated into her room. The last thing she saw before the door closed was the security guards assigned to her taking their places.

After a long, very hot bath, Jami redressed herself. She never knew when she'd have to be ready and so preferred to sleep in her clothing. However she was too sore from Worf's training to sleep. So instead she slipped the tiny collapsible Klingon knife she had been given into her pocket. Then she sat down on the floor.

In the middle of trying to muster the strength to rub Audrey's belly, her door opened. B-4 entered the room.

"Hello." The childlike android said. "Oh, a doggy." Kneeling down he began to rub Audrey's belly.

"Um, hi, B-4." Jami was concerned. No one was suppose to enter her room without clearance.  
Just incase. "What are you doing here?"

"We going on a trip." B-4 said, standing and pulling Jami to her feet.

A twinge of paranoia ran through Jami. "B-4, how did you get past the guards?" The android's grip on her hand was too firm for her to break. When he didn't answer she asked again. "B-4,  
how did you get past the guards?" There was still silence from B-4 so Jami slapped her hand on her communicator. "Jami to security, B-4 is in my room and he won't tell me how he got past the guards."

"We're going on a trip!" B-4 announced again. "And my brother will make me smart."

Suddenly Jami felt the transporter beam. The last thing she saw before dematerializing was her door opening, people jumping over the obviously dead bodies of her guards. Then suddenly she was reforming.

On the Borg cube.

Reactions slowed by both pain and fear, Jami quickly found herself restrained. Next to her was a man who looked a lot like actor Brent Spiner, but she could tell it was not him. There was really only person who it could be.

"Data?" She whispered, stunned.

"Do I know you?" Data asked. A niggle of worry that there might be holes in his memory banks.

Jami shook her head. "No, but I know of you. But - you're suppose to be dead."

"Surprise." Another voice not unlike Data's, but with a different - flavor - to it said. Lore appeared now, grabbing Jami's face in a firm grip and forcing her to look at him. His thumb moving slightly to stroke the side of her face. "So you're the one who not only survived, but resisted Borg assimilation." Lore frowned. "I don't see what's so special about you. Look at you,  
you're fat. There's really nothing special about you."

Lore, despite his disgust, was fascinated with the feel of flesh against his and once he released his grip on her, began to stroke her face. Studying the reactions inside himself as he did so.

Snarling, Jami spun her head and tried to bite Lore, but the android was too swift for her and quickly had a grip on her throat.

"Not smart, fatty." Lore said, chuckling at the stupidity of trying to bite an android.

"My name is Jami." She snarled out even though she was slowly being strangled. "And if I disgust you so much why can't you keep your filthy paws off me?"

Releasing his grip, Lore stepped back. Jami sucked in air several times, bruises already blossoming around her chin and throat where Lore had been grasping her.

"It is really not a good idea to antagonize Lore." Data said. "He can be quite volatile."

"So can I." Growled Jami. "So what's this all about, Lore?"

Like any bad guy, Lore loved to hear himself talk. "About? It's about power. Control." Lore motioned his hand at the Borg around him. "This cube lost their queen. They wandered, lost,  
unable to cope. Then they found one of the Borg that separated from the hive mind. Found out about me, and decided I'd be the perfect replacement. So they gathered my parts, rebuilt me,  
improved me." He motioned to his new skin, the shadow of a beard on his chin. "Then the Enterprise started chasing us. We found an anomaly in space that we opened, turned into a temporary wormhole, and came here. When I saw your earth, I knew this was the place to start again. A new world, an entire new universe to conquer."

"Except," Data said, "that all you have tried to assimilate so far have ended up dying. With the exception of one person."

"A minor setback." Lore waved this off. "Once we figure out how to assimilate her then it's just a matter of time till we assimilate this planet. Start taking the samples."

Jami tried not to cry out in pain or show fear, but it was impossible to do the former. The Borg began to take blood and skin samples. Cutting and healing parts of her flesh. They also took hair and nail parings. When they were finally done she hung from her restraints weakly, patches of newly healed flesh and sweat shining on her. Tears streaked her face.

"I am sorry about this," Data said, looking concerned. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna be just peachy." Jami said with all the weak sarcasm she could muster. Then,  
"Sorry, Data, I'm just not use to this sort of thing."

"It is quite alright," Data replied. "This must be a stressful situation for you. I understand we are in a universe where we are fictional characters. If it was not so dangerous a situation I would find this fascinating."

Jami chuckled. Typical Data behavior. Only he could find what could be a potentiality deadly situation fascinating.

"Would you two shut up?" Lore snapped out. "I have tests to run."

"I hope you flunk." Jami said before closing her eyes. Suddenly she was just too tired to stay awake a second longer.

"Oh great," Sighed Lore, "she snores."

In the conference room, Lt. Com. Pel stood in front of the big screen. "As you can see, all carbon based life forms give off an electro-magnetic discharge or aura. This is a scan of several humans aboard the Enterprise. As you can see while there are marked differences, there are several points where they are the same. Now here is scans I was able to get of humans of the earth beneath us. Completely different from the humans aboard the ship. I believe it's this huge difference that keeps the Borg from being able to assimilate them and instead, the nanites unable to cope quickly enough with this difference, the humans die." The Vulcan now switched to what was obviously a scan of both Jami and her dog. "This is where things get fascinating. It seems Miss Russell's EM aura matches both ours, and that of her own universe. As you can see I also scanned the canine. This is how she looked when she entered the ship, and this was one hour later," as Pel continued he should marked differences between the dog's original EM aura. "And this is five minutes ago. This is Jami after three hours on the Enterprise, after ten," each showed the same change. "As time goes on, her aura begins to match our's more and more."

"Conclusion, Mr. Pel?" Picard pressed his fingertips together, trying to understand what was going on.

"Miss Russell and possibly even her dog were born in the wrong universe. Chances are she always knew this, hence her almost obsession with stories that are considered fictional in this world. The more time they spend interacting with us, the more a part of our universe they become. If we were to send them back, they'd almost certainly fade out of existence."

"There's no way to reverse this? Even by living with her own people?" Dr. Crusher asked.

Pel shook his head. "No. I do not believe so. This process seems to be irreversible. More then that, the more time she spends on the Borg cube..."

"The more likely she can be assimilated." LaForge finished. "Which means the Borg will figure out how to assimilate her earth."

"Exactly." Pel said with a brief nod.

"Then it's settled," Worf said. "We beam to the Borg cube and mount a rescue mission."

"Negative, Mr. Worf." Picard said. "We need more information."

"Sir, with all due respect, she could be assimilated as we speak." Protested the Klingon.

"I know that, Mr. Worf, but let is hope not. No, it's time we did as Mr. LaForge suggested. I want a small away team to go to earth. Locate one of the actors and try to get him or her to put you in contact with the writers."

"Well, what did the doctor say?" Brent Spiner asked into the phone. Listening as his wife reported. "I told you that's what it would be. Kids get colds, sweetie. Okay, I'll see you when you get home. I love you."

As the blue eyed actor/singer hung up the phone, he sighed. His wife had been a little bit anxious this morning as their son had the sniffles. Though he told her it was probably nothing, she still insisted on running to the doctor. All it was though was a cold that could only be cured by bed rest and lots of orange juice. He was reaching for a script his agent had sent him when the air shimmered before him. Jumping backwards as from thin air formed two people.

"How'd you do that, LeVar?" Brent asked. "And what are you doing in your Geordi costume?  
Hey, Michael, it's good to see you but you really didn't have to make yourself up as Worf." The Texan moved forward, giving each man a friendly slap on the shoulder. "I thought you both were at the convention in New York."

"Um, Mr. Spiner," LaForge said, blinking his bionic eyes, it was hard to look at someone who physically resembled his best friend so much, "we're not who you think we are."

"Very funny, LeVar. You guys want something to drink? How'd you do that transporting thing anyway? Pull some strings with some FX-techs? It looked really realistic."

"That's because it was real, Mr. Spiner." Worf said, moving forward. "We have come for your help. We need to talk to one of the writers of Star Trek."

"Trying to get another movie going? Oh, excuse me. That's probably Loree, Jackson's got a cold." Picking up the phone, Brent heard a voice he didn't expect to hear.

"Hey Brent!" LeVar Burton said over the phone. "You're missing a hell of a convention. There's all sorts of reporters who've snuck in trying to ask us about the attack and kidnaping at the ride at the Hilton. They're causing all sorts of chaos."

"Um, LeVar," Brent said, casting a glance at his suddenly suspicious guests, "this really isn't a good time."

"Oh, okay, I'll talk to you later. I've got a Q&A session in ten minutes anyway. Bye."

"Bye." As Brent hung up, he started to back away. "Alright, gentlemen, I don't know who you are but I'd appreciate it if you'd leave."

"We will, as soon as you tell us where we can find one of the writers." LaForge said, wondering now if this was such a good idea. They had chosen Brent Spiner because he was the only one who was home alone at the moment.

"That's all you want?" Worried that they might be out to hurt someone, Brent said, "Then you should be at the convention in New York. There's at least ten there." In such a public place these crazy people would probably easily be taken down before they could cause any harm.

"I was afraid of that. LaForge to shuttle, beam us up."

As the two men dematerialized, Brent rubbed his eyes and checked his forehead.

"I've caught Jackson's cold. Yes, that's it. I've caught his cold and now I'm having feverish delusions."

"Sir," Pel said as he examined his controls, "I believe I've locked in on a writer. He's currently in his hotel room and scans show him to be alone."

"Right, beam us down, Pel."

The writer was not what they expected. He was a good looking guy with thick wavy blond hair and brown eyes. He obviously worked out. More then that he was quick to believe the truth. Of course when a man with bionic eyes and a Klingon magically appear in one's hotel room it wasn't hard not to believe. Just a minor guy, who was rarely even credited, it didn't look promising. However, he turned out to be a wealth of information. Funny thing was, every plot he described was something that had already happened, sometimes even a couple of years ago.

"This business about you folks being here, stuck in our universe, it sounds like a really bad piece of fan fiction, really. What people call a Mary Sue. If I were you I'd be checking this gal's computer."

"Now why didn't we think of that?" LaForge asked himself.

"Probably because you're too busy worrying if we're in control of your lives or if you're in control." The writer replied. "So you wanted to look for the biggest, most complicated solution to either confirm or dispel your fears. Not every plot that crosses our desk gets made into a show or movie. Seems to me you could tell me many things that we never even thought of. Sometimes you guys have to think smaller and simpler."

"It does make sense, sir." Worf said to LaForge.

"Agreed, Mr. Worf," Geordi replied. "I guess it's back to California."

"I always had this crazy sort of fantasy," Jami was saying. She had woken up about a half hour ago and she and Data started talking. "That the writers who come up with the stories that really grab us don't so much write stories as they psychically connect to alternate universes and write histories. That somewhere out there in God's great creation is universes where Sherlock Holmes is actually a historical figure. Where the Gunslinger walks. An alternate New Orleans were Lestat de Lioncourt rules the night. Where children cringe in fear of Professor Snape. Even movies and tv shows that become classics or comic books. Just a large number of people who can subconsciously connect to these alternate worlds."

"It is an interesting theory." Data admitted. "There has been more then one instance where people have reported finding themselves in alternate universes. And, if as you insist, God does exist, it would certainly be possible that he can make infinite universes."

"You've met Q, you know there are beings with god-like powers," Jami replied. "So why can't there be a one and only real God?"

"Agreed. Though as I do not have a soul it does not really matter one way or another to me."

"You have a soul, Data. Otherwise you wouldn't have sacrificed yourself for the greater good"  
Jami tested her bonds yet again. Knowing it was useless. "Okay, I can't take this anymore. Lore!  
Hey Lore! Yo, bolts for brains, pay attention!"

"What do you want now?" Lore shouted, spinning around.

Jami put on as innocent a look as she could manage. "I have to go to the bathroom."

"And that's my problem why?"

"Well, either you can have the Borg build me a toilet where I can do this, or I can pee my pants and your super sensitive android nose will have to put up with the smell." Jami smiled as she said this, waggling her eyebrows. "Unless you'd prefer I hang here naked."

Snarling, Lore motioned to several drones who set out to build the toilet and a cubicle for it to be in. Jami turned and winked at Data behind Lore's back. Watching carefully what the Borg did when they released her. Then, legs pressed tightly together, she managed to get over to the toilet.  
A few minutes later she came out looking much relieved.

Lore was distracted and hadn't ordered the drones to restrain her. Instead he was leaning over something. Jami was shocked to see her own personal computer, completely with a rather ratty looking Valentine card featuring the X-Man, Gambit, taped to it, in front of the wicked android.  
Looking at the screen, she was shocked to see her story, a lot longer then she had written it, on the screen. It was on the part of her second encounter with the Borg and as she watched sentences continued to appear of their own accord.

There was a large number of chemicals on the table that her computer rested. Though she stunk at science, something, perhaps some instinct given to her by her chemist father, encouraged her to pick up a certain bottle. Lore was just starting to turn towards her when she smashed it into his face. Luckily the liquid inside avoided splashing her, but Lore screamed as his flesh and even his eyeballs began to bubble and melt off, revealing the metal behind.

As swiftly as she could, Jami rushed to Data, reaching up and releasing his restraints.

"Quick, smash my hard drive until it's unreadable."

Borg drones were closing in on them. One was already working on repairing Lore. Data grabbed her computer hard drive and slammed it on the floor. Then stomped it until it was completely unrepairable or readable.

Yet nothing changed. The Borg were still closing in. Jami was still there. Nothing changed.

As one Borg grabbed her left arm, Jami ripped her communicator off and slapped it onto Data's chest, shouting, "Enterprise! One to beam directly to the bridge."

She didn't know if it would work, but it did. Even as the Borg pulled her back towards the table,  
Data dematerialized.

"Bad move," Lore said, grasping her head so she could see his one newly created blue eye staring at her.

Jami just smiled. For once, she had won.

"The computer was already gone when we got there," LaForge was saying when they heard Jami's voice.

"Enterprise! One to beam directly to the bridge."

The air shimmered. As the body formed several people pulled out their phasers.

"Please," Data held up his empty hands, "I am not Lore, nor B-4."

LaForge's breath caught in his throat. Slowly he lowered his phaser. "D-Data?"

"Geordi, it is good to see you." Data was glad he had his emotion chip activated.

Geordi knew it really was his best friend. A smile split his face and both friends embraced though others were still suspicious.

"How?" Geordi laughed. "You - you were blown up..."

"Lore found most of me and put me back together. The Borg rebuilt most of my body and gave me my new covering."

"Geordi," Captain Picard said, not sure he believed this.

"Captain, it is Data. I know it." LaForge insisted. "I can see places inside where his body has been burnt. Lore didn't replace them all. The metal is really stressed. You're going to need an over haul, Data."

"I realize I am not operating at peak efficiency," Data said. "I also see that they still do not believe that it is me." The android paused, trying to think of one thing that would prove he was who he said he was.

Then, Data whistled.

Data had never been able to prefect whistling. Everyone at some point heard him trying to whistle Pop Goes The Weasel and everyone knew he couldn't do it. Just like he couldn't do it now.

Phasers were lowered. Captain Picard tried to keep his emotions under control, but he was having a hard time doing it. Looking back he could see even Worf had a bit of moisture around his eyes.

"Geordi, perhaps you should take Data down to sickbay." Picard said. "Mr. Data - it's good to have you back."

"It is good to be back, Captain. Though I wish it was under better circumstances."

"I don't understand why you won't just give in." Lore paced back and forth in front of Jami.  
"Don't you see how much better things will be? Everything you hate will be gone. No more racism, pedophilia, rape, murder, drug abuse - your alcoholic brother Todd will be cured. Never again will there be a terrorist attack. No more fighting between religions or political parties"  
Lore listed off the things the Borg had gotten from Jami's head. "No one will ever again make fun of you for being fat. We'll give you a new body, a sleek, slender body. The kind you always wanted."

"And all it costs is my free will. I'd rather die."

"Who says it has to cost your free will?" Lore moved closer. His newly repaired face was criss-  
crossed with small scars. It would take a few more treatments he didn't have time for to heal it all. "I've grown - fond of you. I'm willing to make you my queen." Reaching out, he stroked her cheek and throat.

For this Jami spat in Lore's face.

The android raised his hand to backhand her, but a Borg drone grabbed his arm. Reminding him through their mental conversation that he could easily kill this fragile human's form. Cleaning his face off, Lore glared at her, then released her restraints, grabbing her by the upper arms.

"Maybe what you need is a taste of what you're refusing." With that Lore kissed her, holding her tight as she struggled against him. "I will make you regret refusing me." He whispered into her ear after breaking off the kiss. To the Borg he ordered, "Leave us."

Jami closed her eyes tight. Even if she could get to the knife in her pocket, Lore had a grip on her elbows now and she couldn't possibly stab him. Still, she struggled against him as best she could.

A half hour later Lore left her, battered and bleeding. Sure she didn't need restraints. B-4, his face a patchwork of synthetic and real flesh, came in, draping a robe over her shoulders.

"You were screaming." B-4 said. Part of his head was still exposed, showing the flashing lights and circuitry beneath. "Were you in pain again?"

"Lore hurt me." Rocking slightly, Jami flinched as B-4 reached out to touch one of the bruises on her face. Though he wasn't Lore, he looked too much like him.

"Why would Lore hurt you? He said he needed you and if I brought you he'd make me smart"  
B-4 looked confused.

"And has he?" Jami asked. "Are you smart now, B-4? Because you surely sound stupid to me.  
Lore is evil. He's twisted and wicked. That's why he keeps getting shut down. He used you, B-4.  
And all for his precious power."

B-4 sat and thought about this. What he didn't know was that he had been attached to the Borg collective in a way Lore wasn't. The Borg were privy to B-4's thoughts. For the first time in a long time, the Borg paused, for as B-4 realized he had been used, so did the Borg realize they,  
too, were being used.

"I'm sorry," B-4 said. "I just wanted to be smart. Like Data. I'm a little smarter, but Lore ordered the Borg to stop working on me for awhile. I think - I think he doesn't want me to be smarter then him."

"You'd be right in that," Jami said, fingering her little Klingon knife. "B-4, if Lore has the Borg try to assimilate me, will you - kill me?"

B-4 looked at his hand where Jami had placed the small collapsible Klingon knife Worf had given her. Slowly, he curled his fingers around the handle.

"I hope it doesn't come to that, but if I have to," B-4 said grimly, "I will."

Captain Picard looked grimly at the team before him even as he took a phaser cannon. "This is a rescue mission. There is no more waiting. We go in, we retrieve Miss Russell, and we destroy the Borg cube. This means we might not be able to return home. However we will be saving this universe from the Borg scourge."

Picard held one thing back from the people in front of him. The presence of the Borg was the only thing keeping them stable enough to continue existing in this universe. Once it was destroyed it would be only a matter of hours before they completely faded of out existence.

"Dr. Crusher, you're in charge of the ship." Picard said to the doctor. Then with Worf, Geordi,  
Pel, and Ensign Shannon, he stepped on the transporter pad. This was the first group of five to go over.

There were three more groups to go.

Each group of five appeared in a different section of the Borg cube. Working their way in.  
Because the Borg would instantly compensate for each blast, they didn't waste shots but waited to see if they were attacked. Each team leader reported what they saw.

For the first twenty meters in, the Borg did not attack.

No attack the next ten.

Then suddenly Ensign Shannon screamed. Picard turned to see the young Ensign twitching as Borg nanites took over. Aiming, Picard shot the Ensign. Though it killed Picard to do it, he knew it was better to be dead then assimilated.

The strange thing was, that was the only Borg in that section to attack. Even stranger, five Borg appeared and started taking the attacker apart.

It was strange. Even stranger was as they went deeper in, they found other Borgs fighting each other. Usually quite a few against just one or two. There were no more attacks and the other teams reported the same thing.

"It's like - a mutiny," Picard said, in shock.

Worf opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by shouting.

"I AM YOUR LEADER! YOUR KING! YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT ME! I DEMAND YOU OBEY ME!" Lore screamed. "OBEY ME!"

Mixed with the screaming was Jami's laughter. "They're not going to obey you, Lore! The ones that will are being destroyed! They're individuals! Like you once said - "They're no longer mindless automatons, they're passionate, alive!" You'll never succeed now!"

"SHUT UP YOU FAT BITCH!" Screamed an irate Lore. "YOU DID THIS! I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Leave her alone!" This voice belonged to B-4. "You won't hurt her anymore, brother! I won't let you!"

A four teams were now together, and together they ran towards the sound of voices, past Borgs fighting other Borgs. They rushed into what must be the main chamber, including tables where people would be restrained while being assimilated. Here they found what could only be Lore and B-4 locked in combat, wrestling each other. Jami, holding a robe around herself, watched them both with wide eyes. Then she looked up and saw the Captain and the rest and smiled with relief. Her bare feet rushing across the floor.

"Thank God you're here! The Borg are rebelling. Some want to continue following Lore but most want to be individuals. Especially the ones who were formerly Klingons and humans"  
Holding the robe tight around herself, she looked pretty well worked over herself. "It's chaos and they're you're only hope for getting home."

"Ensign Clint," Picard said, "take Miss Russell back to the Enterprise, make sure she goes straight to sickbay."

"Captain, you have to stop Lore. If he's shut down the Borg that want to follow him will give up." Jami said even as the Ensign took her arm gently. "But B-4, he's on your side now. Lore tricked him but he knows better now."

"I'll keep that in mind," Picard said, keeping on eyes on her and another on the struggle until she and the Ensign transported out.

"What do we do, Captain?" A lieutenant asked. "Fire or...?"

"Worf, see if you can separate them. LaForge, can you take Lore offline?"

"I can try, Captain."

"Don't try, do it." Picard said. "The rest of you, spread out, incase any of Lore's followers enter."

Worf rushed in, grabbing Lore's arms only to be thrown into a wall. As soon as the Klingon recovered he rushed in again. Only to get thrown again.

"Captain! The Borg!" One of the crew called.

"Hold your fire! Let's find out their intentions first."

What Worf saw next would haunt his nightmares for months to come. Five Borg, all former Klingons, entered. Their once beautiful brown skin now chalk white with patches of grey.  
Cybernetic parts sticking from every place in their bodies. Once beings of great honor, they had been denied an honorable death, denied their free will.

Until today.

The Klingon Borgs were followed by several one-human Borgs. There were several other species as well. A pointed ear that identified a former Vulcan or Romulan. There was a Ferengi. An Orion.

All Borg.

This mass of Borg headed for Lore and B-4. Suddenly, the more primitive android flinched away. Buried deep in his eye was a Klingon blade. Sparks shot forth from him and he twitched as he fell to the floor.

"There you are!" Lore shouted at the Borg now surrounding him. "Don't just stand there!  
Assimilate them! Starting with Picard! What - what are you doing? Obey me - OBEY ME!"

The Borg closed in on Lore. The android screamed. Blood gushed from his human-like skin as the Borg began to take him apart. It stained the floor. Several of the younger crew became sick.  
When the screams stopped, Lore, in pieces, lay on the floor.

Now the Borg turned to Captain Picard. One that had been a Klingon spoke in halting English.

"We are sorry, Captain Picard. We did not realize we were being used until recently. If you will return to your ship, we will open the wormhole and return home. You have our word we will not attack or assimilate you."

Somehow, Captain Picard believed the Klingon-Borg. "May we take the androids with us?"

"Yes. You are welcome to them. Lore was evil, like the Borg queen, and I sincerely hope you will not rebuild him, but B-4, he was innocent, but honorable."

"We'll keep that in mind, thank you." Picard said. Motioning to his people to lower their weapons and gather up Lore and B-4 for transport.

Ten minutes after they were back on the Enterprise, the Borg reopened the wormhole and both ships disappeared inside. Picard sat on the bridge. Trying to think of ways he could explain to their guest that she was going back with them.

He didn't have time to think of a good way, however, for suddenly Jami appeared on the bridge.  
Her bruises only partly healed, Dr. Crusher trying to restrain her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" The blond roared. "Why didn't you send Audrey and me home first!"

Captain Picard stood, though it was hard to keep his feet with the jostling of the wormhole. Jami herself lurched and was thrown briefly into LaForge's lap.

"I'm sorry, Jami, but we couldn't send you home. Somehow - you've become part of our universe now. If we sent you back, you'd cease to exist. This way, at least your family will remember you."

Pale faced and wide eyed, Jami allowed Dr. Crusher to lead her back to the turbolift. The doors closed behind them just as the Enterprise left the wormhole.

It was a tense few minutes until Pel announced, "We're back in our own universe, Captain"  
Everyone except the Vulcan and Worf cheered. "Captain," Pel continued, "the Borg are hailing us."

"Onscreen." Picard said.

The Klingon-Borg showed up on the screen. "Captain Picard, we wish to thank you for not destroying us. As a gift, I hope you will accept the information I shall be sending out in a pod.  
Obviously you'll want to scan it for Borg nanites, though I assure you none will be in there. It's all the information we have on the Borg, including planets we've taken over and weaknesses.  
We shall be joining our Borg brothers and sisters who managed to escape the collective thanks to the one called Hugh."

"Thank you, Captain." Picard said with a nod. "I hope we may work together again someday."

The Klingon-Borg nodded and cut communication. A second later a small pod was shot from the Borg cube and retrieved by the Enterprise.

Picard decided it was time for some over-due rest.

"You look blue." Guinan said as she sat a cup of hot tea in front of the young blond sitting at the counter.

Raising her eyes to Guinan's face, Jami sighed. "I'm apparently in the right universe for me, but I don't know what to do with myself. I'm not good with math or technology. What use will I be here? I didn't belong in my own universe and I sure as hell don't belong in this one."

"Now stop that whining," Guinan replied. "I'm sure there's one thing you can do."

Sipping the tea, Jami thought about what Guinan said. Turning, she saw a number of people with musical instruments heading for a small stage. "There is one thing I can do." Jumping from her stool, she headed over to the little crew band.

Picard stepped into Ten Forward, greeted by music. An old earth song. The music didn't surprise him, a lot of crew members got together to play. What surprised him was who was singing.

"Now you say you're lonely. You cry the long night through, Well, you can cry me a river, Cry me a river, I cried a river over you."

It was Jami - and she was good. Really good. Several people tapped their hands or feet, a few had even cleared a space to dance. Data and Geordi sat at the table nearest Jami. Both seeming to enjoy the music. Guinan came over, handing Picard a cup of tea.

"Good, isn't she Jean-Luc?"

"Very." Picard sipped his tea.

"Well, don't get too attached. I've already contacted a friend at space station Omicrom Five.  
Soon as you can drop her off, she has a job four nights a week in his club." Guinan smiled.

Picard sat down and enjoyed the music.

New Trek Movie To Include Character Based On Missing Fan

Hollywood, CA - Paramount today revealed to the press that the next movie based on popular tv show, Star Trek: The Next Generation, will feature a character loosely based on missing fan,  
Jami JoAnne Russell. The young woman went missing last year at the Las Vegas Hilton when the Star Trek: The Experience ride was attacked by what is now believed to be Al-Queda. Miss Russell's family expresses that they are pleased with this as their daughter was a Trekkie and loved Next Generation best of all.

.The End. 


	2. Chapter 2

Smoke. It seemed strange, out of place that these metal corridors could burn. That smoke could fill the air. Roiling around her like a nightmare. It had always been one thing that took her out of the moment, when spaceships and stations burned, but now Jami knew. Fire was possible in space.

Trying to stay low, Jami rushed along, carrying her dog, Audrey. The little cocker spaniel had panicked so much that she had actually tried to tug Jami out of an airlock. Only a tight hold on Audrey's leash had kept the little pooch from committing suicide.

Red lights flashed above her. Starfleet personnel ushered along other civilians towards the escape pods and shuttles.

This was just a small Starfleet vessel of a type otherwise long since retired. It was meant simply to transport passengers and to train cadets. They had been on their way from a small station towards the pleasure planet known as Risa, with a brief stop over on Vulcan, when a distress call came to them, bringing them too close to the Romulan neutral zone. It had been a trap.

Ever since the Remens had tried to over throw the Romulan government, there had been a civil war of sorts going on. Only instead of two sides, there were uncountable groups. All fighting for control. It actually seemed two different groups were carrying out the war right here in the halls of the ship, for every little bit they'd come across one Romulan fighting another.

Of course, Jami was, now, alone, having gotten turned around in the smoke. She hadn't seen any Starfleet officers, any other civilians in a good five minutes.

She did, however, now see a Romulan, fitted with a device to filter out the smoke, appear. He was aiming a disruptor at her. Audrey snarled, struggling to get free. Jami felt at her hip, where she had placed a disruptor she had found.

As she drew her own, Audrey launched herself out of Jami's arms. Her mouth opening as she sensed the threat to her mistress. In a flash of light - Audrey was gone. The Romulan had killed her.

With a snarl of her own that would frighten even a Klingon, Jami launched herself at the Romulan. Forgetting her disruptor as she instead pulled out a knife that she drove upwards through the Romulan's chin, and eventually into his brain. Ripping it out and leaving a gaping wound gushing green blood.

Then, with a numb sort of calm, Jami sat down on the floor of the ship. One hand stained with green blood, the other holding the burnt end of the leash.

Several years ago, Jami had been taken from her own universe, a universe where Romulans and Starfleet were all fictional. Audrey had been her sole family since then. Though Captain Picard and others from the Enterprise often sent her letters, talked to her, even occasionally picked her up as she was on the way to another gig if they were "in the neighborhood" Audrey had been her only real friend. She held everyone else at arm's length. Fearful of getting to close. Bitter that the people who she once looked up to, even though they were fictional to her until the Borg had come, hadn't been able to rescue her before Lore...

Now Audrey was gone and there wasn't even her remains to hold onto. So at that moment, Jami decided to just stay here. Let the smoke overcome her. She couldn't bring herself to use the disruptor on herself. To cut her own wrists. She decided on suicide by passivity.

She was so absorbed in her moment of self destruction, she never noticed the hand that reached out and administered the Vulcan nerve pinch.

Risa was beautiful. It offered more pleasures then just that of it's natives. There was fishing,  
horseback riding, hiking, mountain climbing. There were nightclubs, spas, fine dining.

The fish were trained to bite on various lures. The horses raised on a planet with a heavier gravity so here on Risa they could run faster, jump farther, last longer. The hiking trails were comfortable. The mountains had hand holds pre-cut for the climbers and special robotic safety nets followed incase you fell. Women - or men - whatever you preferred - were readily available in any club, spa, or restaurant.

Risa was so - so - boring.

James Tiberius Kirk, known on this planet as Leonard Scott, sighed heavily as he pulled in yet another specially trained fish. All the fish he had caught that day were trophy sized. All of them he gently released.

"This is the third time today I caught you," he told the enormous fish. "Go home to your wife and kids. Or husband." With that he let the giant trout go and began to pack up his gear.

What seemed like a lifetime ago, he had been pulled from a space phenomenon called the Nexus by one Captain Jean-Luc Picard to help him defeat a madman named Soran. Only he never got to do it, even though history said he did - and died in the attempt.

In reality, as both Soran and Picard were distracted, a blue fog appeared. Out from it stepped another Kirk. When he spoke, however, it was in the voice of one Gary Seven. Sounding incredibly aged. Sickly even.

"Sorry, Captain Kirk," Seven said, "but the Aegis have a different plan for you."

The blue fog surrounded Kirk and when it cleared he was standing in front of Roberta Lincoln,  
Seven's secretary/side-kick. Still beautiful even though she must be seventy earth years old. She informed him that Gary, on his own deathbed, had been dispatched on one last mission by his alien bosses - to die in Kirk's place so Kirk would be around to perform a mission for them. In the meantime, he was to wait here on Risa. Then she went back to earth, to her own time period,  
through the same blue fog that had brought him here.

It was Kirk's instinct to just go back to Starfleet, tell them his death was all a mistake. However,  
curiosity as to what the Aegis wanted of him got the better of his instinct. So he waited, and waited. Growing more and more bored.

When he returned to his home, Kirk looked yet again at the little computer Roberta had left him.  
Though it just looked like a 20th century earth paperweight, it actually contained technology that was greater then the most brilliant minds in Starfleet could come up with. Currently, it was blank.

Kirk went about his business, getting together a lunch. Letting out several more sighs of boredom. He had just raised the first bite to his lips when the computer beeped.

On it was a star map and two words.

"Save Spock."

When Jami woke up at first she recoiled and bit back a scream for she thought she saw Lore's eyes, one golden, one blue, both filled with cruelty and lust, staring at her. Then when she blinked she realized the eyes were brown and belonged in a man with green skin. When he pulled away a bit she could see Romulans behind him.

So this was how they were supporting their war efforts, by selling slaves to the Orions.

The others, all women, were already tagged with devices Jami knew would send pain to them if they disobeyed or tried to escape. Three were Starfleet cadets, two were civilians, all five wore looks of defiance on their faces. Especially the Klingon female. Jami, however, felt no defiance,  
she just cringed as she was roughly picked up and examined.

In the years since becoming a part of the Trek-verse - as she called it - Jami had lost over one hundred pounds. Still, she was a bit over weight, but it was more pleasing curves then gross fat like she had been before.

And yet, despite this, the Orion dropped her and replied, "Right attitude, too fat."

Something in Jami snapped and she brought both her bound feet straight up as she rolled backwards into the Orion's crotch, causing him to double over in pain. One Romulan responded by kicking her in the side while another pulled his disruptor.

"I'll buy her."

Though she had never heard the real owner of the voice speak before, she still recognized it.  
There wasn't a whole lot of difference. A slightly lower timbre, a hint of disgust the actor who played him wouldn't have allowed to creep in. Then again, judging from his clothing he was trying to pass himself off as a very wealthy Romulan, so he had to pretend at the very least he allowed his emotions to show.

It was Spock. No doubt about it. A bit smoother in face then Leonard Nimoy. The ears a bit more pointed then makeup allowed. All the same, Jami knew this was the object of her first crush at the tender age of three years old. And he was currently handing over a great deal of gold pressed latinum to buy her. A collar was placed about her neck, adjusting itself so it was snug, but not choakingly tight. Spock took a device that attached to it like a leash. He then proceeded to tug her along.

Jami resisted. If only because it must be expected of her, but eventually she gave in and allowed him to lead her away.

This was a colder Spock. Be it because of his time amongst the Romulans, or that this was the way he was always meant to be, and Nimoy had just played him warmer, this Spock was cold enough to freeze water with a glance.

Then, suddenly, they were in private and he was warmer. Removing the collar and checking her throat for bruises. Pulling out medical equipment. "Dr. McCoy would have what you humans call a fit if he could see you. Smoke inhalation damage, bruises to your ribs, throat, you also seem to have picked up a virus from the Romulan you killed." He took forth several hyposprays and administered them. "These should help but what you really need is to be treated in a Starfleet facility."

"I can't believe this." Jami said, shocked, almost snarling. "What are you doing here? And why are you letting them sell Federation citizens?"

"I am here," Spock said in a calm, logical way, "because I was unable to get off of Romulas in time and was forced to take this guise. As for the others, five minutes after we leave, my remaining students will come out of their hiding places aboard the Orion ship, taking it over, and returning the others to Federation space."

"Alright, so why are we still here?" Trying to calm herself down, Jami found herself suddenly engaged into a massive coughing fit. Spock supported her above a waste can as she hacked out soot and other things. Another hypospray was administered and Jami could actually feel her lungs healing inside.

"Because there was no room on the ship for you - you would've been disposed of - and because my absence aboard this ship would be noticed instantly." With an almost tender touch, he smoothed Jami's blond hair away from her sweaty, soot covered face. "Like it or not, we are in this danger together."

Jami sighed. It seemed that like it or not, having interacted with the crew of the Enterprise, she was sucked into these adventures. Though she was sure Spock was lying to her about there not being room on the Orion ship. If that was true, why had the Orion examined her?

When Spock went to touch her again, it caught her so off guard that she swatted his hand away and flinched. A look of terror on her face.

"I'm - I'm sorry, I - don't like men touching me." Shame colored her face.

She couldn't say what really happened. Other then Tasha Yar she had never heard anyone in the Trek-verse use that word. It was hinted at. Danced around. Uhura screaming in her cell. A woman attacked by Apollo - at this moment Jami couldn't remember her name - being brought back by Scotty with her clothing torn and her hair in disarray. Troi's mind ravaged more then once. But that word - never used except by one person.

For a moment Spock's eyes showed - softness, compassion. "There is a shower." He said, the unemotional veil falling back of his eyes. "I will have clean clothing replicated for you."

Jami nodded and headed away. Spock knew. She didn't have to say the words. He knew.

The small computer sat on the control panel in front of him. Though Kirk didn't want to, he needed to sleep. So for now the computer would be the pilot. Before going to lay down,  
however, he crouched, looking at it as if he was staring into the eyes of a prisoner he was interrogating.

"Save Spock, you said. But save Spock from what? From whom? The Romulans? The Remens?  
The Borg? Klingons? Dominion? I need more information."

The computer said nothing. Then, as Kirk stood and turned around, it beeped. He spun, nearly falling over himself as he faced the computer.

"Save Spock." It still said, still showing the star chart. However two more words had been added after the first. "Save Jami."

"Who the hell is Jami?"

Spock put aside the coded communication he had received. "My students have done well and freed the other slaves." He looked at Jami as she placed a tray in front of him. Play acting as he slave even in private just incase someone wandered in.

Here Spock was known as K'rell. A wealthy Romulan hiding from the civil war, waiting for it to calm down so he could step in and take over. He had a great deal of money that his students had managed to gather together for his disguise. Taken mostly from the very same Orion slavers that they would later attack to free the slaves sold to them by the Romulans.

Jami was dressed modestly for a slave. Clothing that was more hinting as to what laid beneath then exposing it all. She moved about in it as comfortably as if she was wearing clothing made of razor wire. Every flash of flesh, even an ankle, caused her to blush furiously.

"I am sorry about the clothing," Spock said. "It was a necessary evil for our charade."

Grunting was all the reply Jami would give him. Trying to hide herself.

"Do you wish to talk about it?" It wasn't the first time Spock had asked. He knew parts of the story, about her coming from a different universe. He didn't know it all.

"I really don't." Jami said. "But you've already guessed it."

"Who was it then?" He made a motion for her to sit. "Who raped you?"

There it was. That word. The one she couldn't speak. Her head dropped and her body shook. For the past few years she had always referred to it as "being hurt." It was more then hurt though. It was shame. Degradation. Violation. The only time she escaped it was when she sang. For those moments she was pure again. Herself. Whole.

"Did you know Data had an - older brother? Two, really. B-4 who came, as you might've guest,  
before Data and his other brother. And Lore..." She gagged on the name. "L-Lore, he's - he's evil, vindictive... He's the one - who hurt me."

"Jami," his tone was soft, yet there was a lecturing edge to it. For someone who was suppose to suppress all emotions, he showed a great deal just in the tone of his voice, the emphasis on his words. "If you do not admit it to yourself, you will never heal."

She didn't want to say it. Couldn't. Yet when she tried to look away Spock took her chin firmly in his hand and forced her grey eyed gaze to meet his brown eyed stare.

"Lore - raped me." She whimpered in a very soft whisper. Then louder, "Lore raped me. LORE RAPED ME!" The last was screamed. She threw her chair back, pulling away from Spock's gentle grasp. Her chest heaved and her hands clenched in fists. "He wanted me to give up my entire being, my sense of self, and he thought - he thought if he humiliated me enough, showed me that I had no power, that he could drive me straight into the arms of the Borg. Embrace assimilation. So he pinned me down, ripped at my clothing, and forced himself on me. Laughing the entire time. Telling me how ugly I was. How worthless. How if I wasn't the key to allowing the Borg to assimilate my universe's earth he would kill me - slowly - and take great pleasure in my screams." She began to pace, beating her fists against her thighs. "And he just kept doing it until he was bored. Leaving me - broken."

"You do not seem - broken - to me. Indeed, did you not continue to refuse to give into assimilation?"

Jami could not answer Spock. Instead she roared and began to punch the wall. Until he finally came up behind her and pinned her arms to her side. She roared, kicked, screamed like a wild woman, but she could no more break Spock's gentle but firm Vulcan grip then she could break Lore's punishing grip. She flipped out, going entirely irrational. He held her until she was too tired to fight anymore. Then he just allowed her to sag in his arms, her back pressed against his chest as she sobbed.

Finally, he loosened his grip enough to turn her around. Allowing her to put her arms around him as she buried her face in his chest, sobbing. Her reactions were so very human. Yet he didn't lecture her about how irrational, illogical she was being. There was no logic for what happened to her. All he could do was allow her this moment to purge. Later, he would begin training her in Vulcan meditation, in letting go of emotions. He needed her to act as logical as humanly possible if they were to get out of this. There was no Kirk, not even a Picard, to come racing to their rescue. For Kirk was dead and Picard was unaware of the danger Spock was in.

Well, at least his holding her helped add to their charade of master and slave when one of the Romulans aboard the ship pretty much forced his way into their room. Spock had quickly grabbed Jami's face and forced her into a kiss just seconds before the door opened. Then he pushed her away. Acting like a master most displeased. Ordering her to get refreshments for his uninvited guest.

"There's no need for that." The Romulan said, his name was Captain Tel and he was not a nice person. He was always forcing his way into Spock's room. Even now he was holding a disruptor on the both of them. "We need more of your latinum, K'rell."

"I gave you the last I had for my slave." Spock said, tucking his hands in his sleeves.

"Then you best get more." Tel moved so he stood next to Jami, using the disruptor to trace her cheek. "Or we'll kill you and sell your pretty little slave here to the Remens. She won't be so lovely for long under their - tender loving care."

"Do you not have enough from the sale of slaves to the Orions?" Spock raised one eyebrow.

Tel laughed, even as he continued to use the disruptor in place of a lover's hand on Jami's face and neck. "Funny thing, the Orions won't deal with us anymore. It seems every time they buy slaves from us, a group of Romulans attacks from inside the ship and frees the slaves, then steals all the gold pressed latinum. Now, pretty little human, why would that be?" When Jami wouldn't answer he grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "Tell me the truth about your master."

A small, dark smile that did not touch her eyes curled Jami's heart-shaped mouth. "The truth is he's the best lover I ever had. Other then that, there's nothing more I can tell you."

In her head, Jami was singing the hit Peggy Lee song, Fever. Her eyes turned smoky, seductive looking at she pulled away from the somewhat stunned Romulan and draped herself along Spock's side. Clinging to him like a second skin, running her finger along his ear. In her head the song just kept being sung by her in an endless loop - even though the whole historical inaccurate part about Pocahontas and John Smith had always bugged her.

"If he's such a good lover, then why are your cheeks streaked with tears?" Tel now snapped.

Jami pouted a bit. "Because he was telling me I'm not enough to satisfy his - needs - and he was thinking once he got some money in, he'd buy another."

"Women get so - jealous." Spock said, putting an arm around Jami and stroking her side.

Snorting, Tel left the room, but not before one last threat. "Get some money or prepare to die."

Pushing away from Spock, Jami panted a bit, her entire body shaking. Spock watched her for a moment.

"Come. I cannot help you in the way you need, but I do need you to be able to resist your instincts so we can get out of here. I shall teach you some meditations that will help you control your emotions. After we escape there is a facility on Betazed that deals well with those who are victims of various violations. Mental and physical."

As he spoke Spock began to withdraw some items. Candles, a crudely carved statue to focus on.  
When he went to light the first candle Jami stopped him.

"First, some answers." Her voice was soft, but firm. "You know damn well I would've been able to fit upon that Orion ship and after what I did he was sure to buy me just so he could punish me.  
So why did you buy me? And," she stared into Spock's eyes, unflinching, "why did you take me in the first place?"

"Cover." Spock said in answer to the last question. "I had hoped to use the slave raid as a chance to escape. Get to an escape pod or a ship. My students, those that survived the Remen uprising,  
would've continued with their own mission to stop the slave trade. I, however, needed to get out so I might return later then Romulas was once again stable. Then I saw you - your dog sacrificing herself to protect you, your revenge killing of the Romulan. When you decided to kill yourself, I thought at first to take you with me, but then one of Tel's men came and I had to take you quickly to convince them I merely wanted the - thrill - of a slave raid."

He paused for a bit, as if weighing if he should answer her first question.

"Before I knew your - history - I had decided to be the one to buy you in hopes you could - be of assistance to me." Was that a green tinge of a blush in Spock's face? He was, after all, half human. Controlling his emotions was a harder struggle for him. "In approximately one earth week, I shall be entering Pon Farr."

The blood drained from Jami's face. So that was it. Spock was about to enter the blood fever of the Vulcan mating phase. No doubt he had options outside of here to keep himself alive. There was places like Risa, after all, where a single Vulcan could logically indulge their seven year need without the entanglements of a marriage.

"So you intended to use me." She felt sick. She hadn't even had time to properly mourn the loss of her dog, and now she found her childhood crush had seen her as nothing more then a logical vessel to cool his blood fever. Snorting, she began to pace, rubbing her arms as she hugged herself. "Funny, in my universe - oh yes, I still think of it as mine even though everyone has told me this is the universe I was meant to be in - in my universe I couldn't get a date to save my life.  
Men would actually tell me that I was a nice person, but too fat to be seen with in public. Once I got here, I had all sorts of offers - from humans, Ferengi, a Klingon asked me to marry him a few months ago when I kicked him in the shins after he touched me. Of course, I turned them all down. Now - now I have the man who is the basis on whom I formed my ideal mate telling me that he wants to sleep with me. If only to keep his own life going."

"This is true." Spock said as he lit the candles. "However, now we shall have to find a different way in which to deal with the Pon Farr. I will not put you through - that."

"If we have to - well," Jami said, her voice husky with unshed tears, "at least - at least it would be my choice."

Regarding her for a moment, Spock then motioned for her to sit. "We shall begin slowly." As she sat, he said, "For what it's worth, I am sorry about your dog."

"I miss her."

The problem with the universe thinking you were dead meant you just didn't have the pull you once had. Though he had a ship, a small Romulan once as suggested by the computer, what Kirk needed was information. The computer that once belonged to Gary Seven could only - or would only - give him star charts and an approximate location of Spock and this "Jami" person,  
whomever he or she was.

So far he had figured out some things on his own. Spock was in Romulan space. So the danger must come from them or the Remens - or both. That the Aegis apparently thought Spock needed to live for many years to come was also apparent.

"Will you ever tell me who Jami is at the very least?" Kirk asked the computer. He had been asking it for hours for the information he just couldn't get from anyone else, even with hefty bribes.

For the first time, the computer actually answered his question. A picture of a woman, a little on the chunky side, but pretty, was flashed up on the viewscreen. She was holding a small black and white dog. Alongside her picture, her biography appeared.

"A woman from a universe where I am - fictional? As Spock would say, fascinating. So I take it she's with Spock now." He read on. Before long he realized that he was reading not just her history, but her private medical files. He didn't want to read them. Yet he couldn't stop. "Oh dear lord." He whispered, feeling pale and sick. "Oh you poor girl. Turn it off, for God's sake turn it off."

Images of Jami, battered, bruised, that accompanied the medical files vanished. He would see that face, lip split, bruises covering her body, would haunt him when he closed his eyes just as surely as they haunted him even now with his eyes opened.

"So I'm to save her too - but from whom? The Romulans or herself? Well, obviously the Romulans first since you show me she's in Romulan space too." He sighed. "Look at you, Jim,  
talking to a - a brainy cube. You've been on Risa too long. Still, this is more exciting then their so-called fishing."

He made course corrections by hand, refusing to let the cube do it until he was too tired to keep his eyes opened. Eventually he fell asleep in his chair. Dreaming of the Enterprise. Spock,  
McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Chekhov, Uhura. His beautiful but long gone yeoman. Nurse Christine Chapel always making goo-goo eyes at Spock. He dreamed of Orion slave girls and Khan. There were Klingons, Romulans. Picard and the Nexus. Gary Seven, Roberta, and Isis. Every woman he had ever loved.

When he woke, he said to himself, "I've had a good life, better then most. Almost mythical. Do I really belong in this place? Living in a century that no longer needs me?" He thought about all the recent history he had been reading. "After all, this century has Picard, Sisko, Janeway - is it big enough for a Kirk?"

The little cubical computer was the one that answered. Flashing up "Save Spock, save Jami."

"Alright, I will." He said. "Can't have someone with a name like Jami in trouble anyway. After all, Jami is just a shortened form of James."

Tel snarled, throwing aside the PADD he had been using. He couldn't get the thought out of his head that K'rell was not who he said he was. Yet his money had come in handy in their battle to be the rulers of Romulas.

Since he was a small child Tel knew he was destined to shape Romulas' future. Hadn't his mother always told him so? Hadn't he served faithfully in the service? Then when he was just about to make that final step, the Remens came in and took it away from him. Now he had to fight for what was his by right. When everyone should be begging on their knees for him to lead them.

Without the sale of slaves to the Orions Tel would not be able to buy soldiers and equipment.  
K'rell's money was now needed more then ever. Yet - Tel had spent all his free time trying to study up on this K'rell, find his weakness. He found - nothing. Not a thing. It was like K'rell never really existed.

Granted, there was a lot of holes in the information anymore. Files destroyed, but there should be something, anything.

Then there was K'rell's behavior - it was almost - Vulcan. He was so reserved. Never once showing a temper. Just always that same expression. The occasional raising of a single eyebrow.  
The only thing he seemed to show any care for was that damn human slave of his. Right now,  
that seemed to be K'rell's only weakness. If only the son of a bitch would leave her alone for just a minute. Yet even when Tel ordered for a private conversation, there was that human cow,  
kneeling at his feet, allowing herself to be petted like an animal. She didn't act anything like your typical human.

There was a mystery here. A mystery Tel really didn't have time for - but he was determined to find the answers anyway. Before he killed K'rell and sold off that slave of his.

In her dreams she was not the Jami she once was. Her body was stronger, thinner, and almost entirely metal. She saw better. Lasted longer. Her mind was connected to thousands, millions,  
billions of other minds. Audrey was there too. Her own canine body improved, her mind totally enslaved to Jami's own. She was the Borg Queen and answered to no one but Lore.

She looked into Lore's eyes. One gold, one blue. She could see her reflection in his eyes. The melding of her flesh to metal. One of her eyes was the same grey-green it had always been. The other was a glowing, demonic red...

Spock stifled Jami's waking scream with his hand. For a moment she thrashed under it, scraping her nails across him and drawing blood as she tried to pry his hand off her mouth. Then she realized who it was that held her down so firmly and relaxed.

When he pulled his hand away, Jami sat up. He was dressed for bed. No doubt he had been asleep on his pallet on the floor when he woke to her in the throws of her nightmare.

"Our lessons are not going well." He said.

"It's only been two days." She replied. "You can't expect miracles, Spock, it's not logical."

"We do not have enough time." He said. "I do not wish to do this, but it is the most logical way at this point. The only way. The Pon Farr is nearing and I need you to have a clearer mind to deal with it."

Jami sighed. "You know, for a Vulcan you're very impatient."

"Were you not the one who said yesterday "Desperate times call for desperate measures" when you suggested this?" He sat down on the edge of the bed.

"And you're the one who said I was more logical then I gave myself credit for and shouldn't grasp at easy solutions to difficult problems."

Spock said nothing, just stared at her intently. She stared back.

"I only wanted to do it," she whispered her confession, "because as a child I had a crush on you and longed to be close to you. What could be closer then the mind meld?"

Now it was Spock's turn to make a confession. "I have made - a miscalculation in the time.  
Because I spend most of my time locked in this room unless Tel sends for me, because the computer access is severely limited, I have missed several days. The Pon Farr will come sooner then I anticipated. Even now I feel the fires building in my blood." With an almost human tenderness, he stroked her cheek. "I am sorry. I know your brief time joined to the Borg left you fearful for the privacy of your own mind."

"Just get it over with." She mumbled.

Gently, Spock began to apply his finger tips to her face. Staring deep into her eyes. Speaking,  
"Your mind, to my mind..."

It was like, and yet completely unlike assimilation. There was no chaos of thoughts, yet they came to her in a jumble at first. Here were minds Spock had melded with long before her's.  
Thoughts from when Spock's mind was trapped inside McCoy's. His melding with Picard so he might better know his father. Every adventure, every love affair.

Then it slowed down and it became the transferring of lessons. Knowing almost instantly how one can overcome, suppress their emotions. Get pass what made them illogical, even dangerous,  
in order to find inner peace.

For Spock the thoughts were turmoil as well. A wave creeping slowly up a beach, sweeping a three year old Jami out to see, nearly drowning. Watching Star Trek on tv. Dancing to Copacabana. Fighting with her brothers. First day of school. First day of a lifetime of being bullied. It began to roll over him quicker and quicker now. The 2nd grade teacher who told her she was retarded. The 3rd grade teacher who told her she was a genius. Tested for special gifted programing. The 6th grade teacher who told her she was a bad person for using anti-perspirant and mouth wash.

The first time boys touched her without her permission. Leaving her feeling ashamed.

Her first drink. Her realization her brother Todd was an alcoholic and drug addict.

The Borg! THE BORG! And Lore - Lore on top of her. Hurting her. Lore - LORE!

Then suddenly her mind settled. Calm. Music ran through it. Music that sustained her. Gave her hope, healing, even if just for a few minutes. Her mind was much more logical then she really gave herself credit for. Even though music expressed passions of varying kinds, it was logical,  
mathematical. 

There was another part of her mind. One that had never quite gotten over her childhood crush on Spock. One that even now longed for more then what she had been given. A part that thrilled at his oncoming Pon Farr...

When both had finally came out of the mind meld state, they realized they were kissing. Not the play acting kissing they did in front of Tel. This was real. And Jami didn't pull away. She didn't fight or scream or flinch. Instead she mewled a little in the back of her throat and twined her fingers in Spock's hair.

At first he tried to pull away, but she kept him there - though he was stronger - perhaps because he wanted to remain.

"My choice." She whispered against his lips. "This is my choice."

"It is an illogical one." He said back.

"Oh Spock, for once, forget logic."

Placing his hands on her waist, he did.

Five minutes on the Romulan side of the neutral zone, Kirk was attacked. A Romulan warbird that had seen better days piloted by Remens had instantly started firing on him. Though he was loathe to admit it, the only reason he hadn't been blown up was because Seven's computer was able to make swift repairs to the shields without sacrificing life support.

Yet he just couldn't shake them. Even though his ship was smaller and should be able to hide easier, they found him every time. Though their ship was not in the best of shape, their weapons and shields were still stronger then his.

He tried to out-maneuver them and mostly succeeded. Yet they still scored some hits. Rocking his tiny ship.

It was frightening, knowing they could crush him eventually. He didn't show his fear, but he acknowledged it, only a fool would deny fear. At the same time it was thrilling. He felt like a young captain again. Daring danger and embracing adventure. All to save a friend and a stranger.

So he was a bit disappointed when another Romulan ship came and blew the first one away. He slipped Seven's computer into a bag as they second ship hooked a tractor beam to him without saying a word. Ever attempt at establishing contact was met with silence.

"Well," Kirk said to himself, making sure his prosthetic Romulan ears were firmly attached, "if things work as they usually do, Spock will be on this ship."

For the first time since they had met, Jami did not wake Spock with whimpers, screams, or crying in her sleep. It was her peacefulness that woke him this time. There were no cries of Audrey's name, no moaning in fear.

She lay on her left side, her right arm exposed. She had a tattoo just an inch down from her shoulder. A green pattern, almost Celtic in looks. He knew there was another tattoo two inches above her right knee. A rose with it's stem piercing a heart.

He didn't understand what just happened. The most logical explanation was simply he was irrational due to his approaching Pon Farr. Yet his head didn't feel any clearer as mating should've left him.

He could feel the ship shudder in a brief battle. Jami rolled over on her right side, her grey-green eyes opened somewhat and she smiled, snuggling up to Spock's chest.

"I understand so much now," She said softly. "It's not that Vulcans aren't without emotion, you even express them, just in such minuscule ways that others can barely register them. A twitch of an eyebrow, a tiny change in the tone of voice. You keep a tight rein on them, but you have emotions all the same."

"Jim knew that and to a point, Dr. McCoy." Spock said. "But very few other then them understood in my lifetime."

"You miss them, don't you?" Jami looked at him, pulling back slightly.

Spock said nothing for a moment. "I miss them all. They were my family."

They lay in silence together as the ship finally stopped the shuddering, the battle over.

"This is - so illogical." Jami said, rolling over on her back. "We're trapped together on a Romulan ship, our lives are in danger, and we're lolling together in bed like a couple of characters in a cheap romance novel."

"We are also locked in this room until Tel chooses to let us out." Spock said, laying now on his own back. "There is not much else here to occupy us."

"We need to plan our escape."

"We need help to do it."

Throwing an arm across her eyes, Jami grumbled, "I wish Kirk was here. If anyone could get us out..."

"We have saved you from the Remen scum," A Romulan woman was saying to Kirk. "You will join us or die."

"Of course." Kirk replied, glad his Romulan disguise was still intact.

"We serve under Tel. Future leader of all of Romulas." She continued, leading Kirk down a corridor. "We have no titles or ranks here. All are equal under Tel. We shall place you according to your skills after a proper rest. This is your room. You shall be sharing with three others who are currently on duty. Go. Sleep. I will retrieve you in six hours. From now on, you shall be called Soldier Three-Fifteen."

Kirk entered the currently empty, spartan room. Apparently on this ship only Tel had a name. All the others were labeled not unlike the Borg. An attempt to make them all seem equal, as well as eliminate their individuality.

Sure he was alone, he took out the small square computer. "Alright, what now?" He asked it.

The same four words showed. Only now, as Kirk placed it on a Romulan computer, instead of star charts, it showed a schematic of the ship. In one room on the other side two small dots glowed. One bright blue, the other green.

"Life works in my favor once again." Kirk said with a grin. Now, he just needed to find a way to that side of the ship.

"You're not going to stay in Federation space when we escape." Jami said as she pulled on her slave outfit. It wasn't a question. She already knew the answer.

"I cannot. I will be arrested for treason either by the Federation or by my fellow Vulcans."

"So it's through the wormhole and hiding out in the Delta Quadrant until you can return to a more stable Romulas and your students."

Spock nodded his head once, briefly.

"So in other words, if I live through the escape, I will never see you again. Don't protest, Spock,  
I know how it works. Either one of us will die, more likely me, or we'll escape together but I'll grow old and die long before you can return. I've seen too many episodes of Star Trek in the other universe to think it will end any other way."

"You said "other universe." That is the first time you haven't..."

"Called it "my universe," I know." Jami interrupted. "Like it or not, this is my universe. I belong here."

Spock said nothing. Instead he sat down to meditate. Hoping to come up with a way for them to escape.

Tel was seething in rage. Though he managed to hide it from the new helmsman they had picked up, saving him from the Remens as he stared over Tel's shoulder.

Months ago he had set it up so he could look into the rooms of any he chose. Today, finally, he had given in to look on K'rell and his slave. He looked away when he saw what it was they were doing. Even he knew enough to give people privacy.

When they were through he listened in on their - pillow talk.

And then she called K'rell Spock. Spock! That half breed. Foul spawn of a Vulcan and a human.  
On HIS ship! Eating HIS food! For all this time Tel had been protecting scum!

Well, valuable scum. He could easily sell Spock for enough to gain dozens of ships. Victory would he his at last, and he would take his rightful place as the leader of Romulas.

Kirk, or as he was called, Solider three-fifteen, had been given a test to see what he was good at.  
They decided he would serve best at the helm. The leader, Tel, had called him up to discuss routes and battle strategies. However on Tel's screen was not star chairs or battle plans.

It was Spock, engaging in - well, relations - with a woman who had to be Jami. Then they spoke to each other. When Jami said Spock's name, Tel became white with barely controlled rage.

"Fetch me Spock, three-fifteen," Tel sneered. "But make sure to call him K'rell. Do not let him or his slave know we know who he really is. Serve me well, three-fifteen, and I might let you have the slave if she pleases you."

Kirk nodded tersely and headed for Spock - K'rell's - quarters. He had been shocked at first to see what Spock was doing and with whom. The only thing he could think of was that Spock had entered Pon Farr and had to go with who was readily available.

Upon entering Spock's room Kirk gave him a look with his eyes that said not to say a word. He could see Spock's eyes widening very slightly in shock. No one else but someone who knew Spock well would be able to tell this.

Jami must've picked up on it too. For though Kirk could see the shock on her face, she said not a word.

"Tel wishes to speak to you." Kirk knew this was his big chance to get them out of here. But Tel wanted Spock alone. No doubt Tel was watching right now.

"Come, slave." Spock said to Jami without turning to look at her.

"Tel wishes to see you alone." Kirk said, incase Tel was watching.

"Where I go, my slave goes." Replied Spock firmly, taking a leash that he attached to the collar.  
No doubt he must've suddenly realized they were being spied upon. So now he was performing too.

"Very well, but Tel won't be pleased."

They made their way to turbolift, Kirk wondered if Tel also monitored the corridors. When could he speak to Spock and Jami? Well, it was now or never. Instead of calling for the bridge,  
he called for the shuttlebay. Spock detached Jami's leash and Kirk handed them both disruptors.

"Where's your dog?" Kirk asked.

"Dead. She gave her life to save me." The blond replied, tears hovering in her eyes.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Kirk loved dogs, but he had to admit it would make things less complicated if he didn't have to also rescue the pooch. "I know what you want to ask, Spock,  
we'll talk later."

When they stepped out of the turbolift a warning shot was fired above their heads. It was obvious Tel had been spying on them still. All three ducked and Jami was the first to fire, hitting her target in the leg - but that was enough to kill the Romulan. Kirk glanced at her, he hadn't set the disruptors that high. Her face was tight and anger burned in her eyes.

"Jami." Spock whispered. They exchanged a look and she turned the setting down.

They were under heavy fire. Any of them could be killed any second now, they knew it, yet except for the first Romulan, they looked to stun, not kill. Normally disruptors didn't come with a stun setting, but these had been altered for slave raids.

All came very close to getting hit and it was only by ducking, rolling, and hiding that they were able to escape. Get close enough to those Romulans not stunned to strike out with fists and feet.  
Spock administering Vulcan nerve pinches. Kirk jamming his fist into jaws. Jami going low,  
grabbing a Romulan by the feet, and yanking, causing them to hit their head so hard that they were knocked out. Or just delivering kicks into a place that made Kirk cringe to see it.

"You fight dirty." Kirk said as they headed into the next battle.

"There is no dirty when you're fighting for your life or that of others." She replied.

That was the last thing any of them said. Kirk was hit once, Spock supported him until the dizziness passed. Jami was tripped but rolled onto her back and fired, then scrambled to her feet.  
They made a beeline for the nearest ship. Spock got there first, getting the door opened.

Tel came rushing into the shuttlebay, roaring orders. Jami, last to enter the ship, paused at the door and fired her disruptor before darting inside. Tel was struck in the head.

Spock was able to override all the codes, having plenty of time to study them. The shuttlebay doors opened, without the shielding. Everything started to be blown out into space. Romulans and ships alike. Only a few were able to hang on until the shielding was up and the doors started to close. Tel was not one of them. No one cared to try and save him.

With Tel dead, no one bothered to pursue or fire upon them. It seemed that in the long run, the Romulans under Tel's command - just really didn't care.

There was still the challenge of getting out of Romulan space. Luckily they weren't far from the neutral zone. Since Tel had been planning another slave raid despite the Orions claiming they would no longer deal with them. There were others who bought and sold slaves.

"I am glad you are alive, Jim," Spock said, a slight crack in his voice showing the emotions he was trying to suppress. Joy, shock, mostly joy. "But how...?"

"Gary Seven." It was Jami who answered, pulling forth something she had seen Kirk drop.  
Seven's computer. "He took your place, didn't he? I was once going to write a fan fiction where he did just that, but I couldn't think of the adventure you'd go on afterwards."

Kirk nodded. "Yes. Seven was at the end of his life - his last mission - was to save me."

Jami handed him the computer. "If you don't mind, I'm going to sleep for an earth year."

Getting out of Romulan space was easier then getting into Federation space. As they crossed over they were challenged by a starship.

Not just any starship though. It was the Enterprise.

"Let me handle this," Jami said, sending Spock and Kirk out of sight. "You're suppose to be dead and you're considered a criminal..." She reminded them when they protested. "Hi, Captain Picard."

"Jami? What the hell are you doing on a Romulan ship?" The captain looked shocked.

"I was taken in a Romulan slave raid. I managed to escape."

"Our sensors show two other life signs. One human and one Vulcan."

"Fellow slaves who escaped with me. They're sleeping right now. We're all fine, Captain. Just shaken up. Um - I wouldn't mind some different clothing though if you wouldn't mind beaming some over."

"Wouldn't you rather beam aboard the Enterprise?"

Jami looked at the bridge. Though Geordi was still Picard's second in command, she could see a familiar figure hovering in the background. "No offense, Captain, but I'm - I'm not ready to set foot aboard the Enterprise again for awhile. If you wouldn't mind letting the Federation know to leave us alone, I'm going to drop my friends off at the former Deep Space Nine station and then - I'm on my way to a facility on Betazed."

"I understand." Picard glanced up at Data who was currently next to Worf. They had been discussing something. Now the android was looking at Jami with sad eyes. "How is Audrey"  
Picard asked, noticing the scans showed no sign of canine life. How angry he had been when Jami had tricked them into bringing her dog onboard.

Sniffling, Jami started to cry. "A Romulan killed her in the slave raid." For the first time she truly lost it and started to mourn her dog fully. "She knew he was about to k-kill me and she -  
jumped in front of his disruptor fire."

"I'm sorry," Picard said, his voice softened, subdued. "I know she was the only connection to your universe..."

"Th-this is my universe, Captain Picard. It's just - sh-she's m-my only family." Heart wrenching sobs exited her and she buried her face in her hands.

"Jami," his voice still subdued, "You know that's not true. We all consider you part of the Enterprise family. Even though it was only one time - we all care about you."

Replicating herself some tissues, Jami turned away to blow her nose. "I know, Captain," she said, her back still to them, "but - well, there's something special about a dog. Their unconditional love. The fact they never judge you... Never blame you for the past."

There was nothing Picard could say to that. Though they had tried to stress they didn't think it was her fault for what happened with Lore, what he did to her, she still worried that they did.

"Jami," It was Data speaking. Though he was no longer a Starfleet officer, he still worked as a non-com on the Enterprise. "It wasn't your fault - and I do wish you'd reconsider. I am not my brother."

"No, you just look and sound just like him. I have to go. Bye." Jami cut off the communications and headed off.

"Your reaction was completely illogical." Spock said, even as he rubbed away some of her tears.

Shoving Spock away, Jami said, "Not everything has to be logical, Spock. Think about that when Pon Farr hits." She retreated to the sleeping area.

"Human women are so - illogical." Spock said, sitting down. "Irrational."

"That's why we love them." Replied Kirk.

Spock was very quiet. Then, "She's going to commit herself to a facility on Betazed. I - could not help her as much as she needed. The mind meld was only enough to calm her to my touch. I care for her, Jim. I know, very un-Vulcan of me to admit. If Dr. McCoy was here he would be shocked. Possibly my time amongst the Romulans has cracked my control over my emotions.  
Perhaps it was because of the mind meld and her already pre-existing feelings for me - but I would very much like her to come with us..."

They were going to go through the wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant. To stay until such a time they could return - if ever. A new quadrant, new adventures.

"Did you ask her?"

"Yes. She said no."

"I'm sorry."

"I am too."

The wormhole seemed to swallow the ship. Jami pressed her hand against the window as she watched the ship carry Spock and Kirk away. It had taken a lot of bribes, a lot of begging the Bajorans to allow it.

She turned away. There would be a Federation ship docking soon. One heading for Betazed. Her hand ran over her belly. She never told Spock. She should've, but she didn't. A few months on Betazed, then she'd go to Vulcan where Spock's step-mother still lived. Though not related by blood she had a right to know her grandchild.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

In another universe, another Jami sat back. Finished, finally. It wasn't perfect, but then again, a Mary Sue fan fiction didn't have to be perfect unless you were trying to fool people into thinking it wasn't a Mary Sue.

Her eyes wandered over to a box that contained the ashes of Audrey. The little dog in her story had died a hero's death, but in this universe Audrey had simply passed away in the night. Jami took comfort though that in a multiple of universes Audrey lived. In one she was part machine.  
In another she was the undead companion of a vampire Jami. And in yet another she was a simple dog, age 12, blind, deaf, but still alive and loving her Jami.

This Jami knew a lot about other universes. Knew that in another one, this Jami existed, carrying Spock's child. Just like she knew another Jami, one with a living Audrey, was writing about her at just this moment.

A sound distracted her. Jami looked out the window at her backyard as the Tardis appeared. "Oh goody-goody gumdrops," she said sarcastically. She knew this meant trouble. "The Doctor is back. I hope he didn't bring a bloody Dalek back with him this time."

The End 


End file.
